Egypt Train Crash Near Cairo Kills 7, Injures More Than 112

At least seven people were killed and more than 112 others were injured Sunday when a train collision triggered a derailment on the outskirts of Cairo, Egypt's Health Ministry said, according to Al Jazeera.

How Many People Were Killed and Injured

The Health Ministry put the toll at seven dead and more than 112 injured as of Sunday, Al Jazeera reported, citing the ministry directly. Casualties were taken to nearby hospitals following the crash in the al-Ayyat district of Giza province.

What Caused the Crash Near al-Ayyat

A train traveling between Giza and Fayoum ran into the back of another train operating on the Cairo-to-Aswan route, Egyptian authorities told Al Jazeera. The impact caused the Cairo-Aswan train to derail from its tracks and overturn onto a countryside road in al-Ayyat, a district roughly 50 kilometers south of central Cairo.

How Did Authorities Respond to the Derailment

Egyptian National Railways said emergency rescue teams and cranes were dispatched to the scene to clear wreckage and restore normal train service, according to the statement carried by Al Jazeera. Authorities said more than 70 ambulances took part in transport and evacuation operations, moving the injured to area hospitals.

Is al-Ayyat the Site of Previous Rail Disasters

Al-Ayyat has been the location of Egypt's deadliest rail accidents. In 2002, a fire swept through a train carrying holiday travelers south of Cairo in the district, killing more than 370 people, Al Jazeera reported, calling it the country's worst-ever rail disaster. In 2009, multiple train crashes in the same area killed dozens more.

Why Does Egypt's Rail Network Keep Failing

Egypt's population of 110 million people relies heavily on rail transport, and the country's cross-country network is one of the largest in Africa, according to Al Jazeera. Over the past decade, the government has invested billions of dollars in highways and high-speed rail lines, the outlet reported, but has not overhauled much of its older train services. The gap between new infrastructure spending and aging rolling stock has repeatedly surfaced after past accidents, including the sacking of the national rail authority chief following a string of deadly crashes, a prior incident referenced in Al Jazeera's related coverage of Egyptian rail disasters.

Sunday's crash adds to a pattern of collisions on the same stretch of track over more than two decades. Egyptian National Railways has not yet detailed what caused the Giza-Fayoum train to strike the Cairo-Aswan train from behind, and no timeline for a full investigation was given in the reporting.

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