At least seven people have died and more than 100 others sustained injuries following a collision between two trains near the Egyptian city of Giza, according to BBC News. The country's railway authority confirmed that two southbound services—one departing from Giza and another from Cairo—struck each other, resulting in multiple carriages derailing and tumbling down an embankment.
The Health Ministry's updated figures indicated seven fatalities and 112 injured individuals, with 45 already discharged from medical care and seven more expected to be released later. Emergency responders deployed 52 ambulances to transport casualties to two nearby hospitals in the area. Footage from the scene depicted uninjured passengers and bystanders searching through overturned carriages to locate trapped and injured travellers as rescue operations intensified.
The collision occurred between Kafr Ammar and Al-Raqqa stations in Al-Ayyat, approximately 52 kilometres south of Cairo, according to ABC News. The Giza–Fayoum train struck the rear carriage of a stationary Cairo–Aswan service travelling in the same direction on the same track.
What injuries did passengers sustain?
Medical personnel treated passengers for a range of injuries sustained in the impact. According to Agence France-Presse, the Health Ministry documented fractures affecting limbs, the pelvis and vertebrae, alongside head and facial lacerations and chest trauma. Dr Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Egypt's health minister, noted that broken bones and head injuries were among the most prevalent conditions requiring treatment.
How did authorities respond?
Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi issued directives for state authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding the accident and to hold accountable anyone found responsible for negligence. The public prosecutor's office warned that the death toll could increase as investigations continued, and prosecutors arrived at the crash site late on Sunday to conduct an initial inspection.
Hospitals across the region were placed on heightened alert to manage the sudden surge of patients requiring emergency care. The Egyptian Red Crescent mobilised resources to provide medical aid and psychological support to survivors and bereaved families at the scene. One of the train drivers involved in the collision was among those killed, the ministry confirmed.
What is the historical context?
The accident site lies near the location of Egypt's deadliest rail tragedy, which unfolded in February 2002 when a fire consumed a passenger train travelling from Cairo to Luxor. Official reports documented more than 370 deaths in that incident, though certain estimates suggest considerably higher figures. Two additional crashes in the same area during 2009 claimed dozens more lives, underscoring a troubling pattern of rail disasters in the region.
Egypt's railway system has long struggled with mismanagement and inadequate equipment maintenance, resulting in frequent derailments and collisions, according to reporting on the incident. This latest disaster has prompted calls within Egypt for the transport minister to resign.
What happens next?
The public prosecutor's office announced it would examine the technical factors contributing to the crash. Railway authority personnel were tasked with clearing wreckage to restore services between Giza and the Upper Egypt region, though no timeline for service resumption was provided. The authority has not disclosed how long the recovery and investigation process is expected to take.
International leaders and dignitaries have extended condolences to Egypt. Saudi Arabia's ministry of foreign affairs expressed solidarity with the nation and wished injured passengers a swift recovery. Turkey's ambassador to Egypt conveyed heartfelt condolences and sincere sympathy to the victims, their families, and the Egyptian people through a statement on social media.
