A significant train accident took place in western Egypt on Saturday. A passenger train derailed, resulting in at least three fatalities. The incident also led to injuries for 94 passengers, as reported by officials. Railway authorities indicated that the train was en route from Matrouh province, located on the northern coast, to Cairo when the accident occurred. Seven carriages of the train went off the tracks, with two of them overturning.
The Ministry of Health released a statement detailing the casualties and confirmed that 30 ambulances were sent to the scene to transport the injured to hospitals. Railway officials have initiated an investigation to determine the causes of the derailment.
Train derailments and accidents are not unusual in Egypt, where the railway system is aging and suffers from mismanagement. Last October, a passenger train traveling towards Cairo was struck by an engine from behind, leading to at least one death and several injuries.
The government has announced plans to improve the railway network in recent years. In 2018, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi stated that approximately 250 billion Egyptian pounds, or $8.13 billion USD, would be needed to fully revamp the country’s neglected rail system.