Egypt train collision leaves 32 dead, 160 wounded

KABUL (Pajhwok): More than 30 people have been killed and over 160 others wounded in in a train accident in southern Egypt, media reports said on Saturday.

Two trains collided in Sohag city, some 500 kilomtres south of the Cairo on Friday, when someone applied emergency brakes, Al-Jazeera reported.

As a result of the collision, three passenger bogeys flipped over, causing the casualties. Passengers were seen trapped inside the wagon.

After the emergency brakes were triggered, one of the trains stopped and the other crashed into it. Railway officials are investigating the accident

President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi tweeted:

“Anyone who caused this painful accident through negligence or corruption, , must receive a deterrent punishment without exception or delay.”

He directed Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly to head to the site of the crash site with the ministers of health and social solidarity.

Authorities put the toll at 32 dead and 165 wounded. Seventy-two ambulances rushed to the scene and reinforcement medical teams sent to Tahta district, the Health Ministry said.

One of the trains heading from Aswan to Cairo struck the rear of another train moving Luxor to Alexandria, according to CNN.

“Control systems operate manually, train cars have run out of date,” the premier was quoted as saying by Egyptian TV.

The deadliest accident in Egyptian rail history happened in 2002, when a fire on a passenger train traveling from Cairo south to Luxor left over 360 people dead.

PAN Monitor/mud

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