Two passenger trains collided south of Cairo on Sunday, killing at least four people and injuring 88 others.
The crash happened in the Al-Ayyat district of Giza province. Several passenger carriages derailed and tumbled down an earthen embankment, according to transport and health officials.
A train driver was among those confirmed dead. Emergency teams worked through the afternoon to pull survivors from the mangled wreckage.
How the Al-Ayyat Crash Unfolded
Egypt’s state railway authority said the incident occurred between Kafr Ammar and Al-Raqqa stations.
A passenger service travelling from Giza to the Fayoum oasis struck the rear of another train. The second service was travelling south from Cairo toward the city of Aswan.
The impact forced multiple carriages off the tracks. Large crowds gathered near the rails as dust and smoke rose from the overturned cars.
Authorities quickly suspended all rail services between Giza and Upper Egypt while recovery teams began clearing the line. Heavy lifting cranes were moved into place to remove the damaged carriages.
Emergency Response and Hospital Surge
The Egyptian Ministry of Health sent at least 72 ambulances to the crash site within minutes.
Paramedics transported 88 injured passengers to three primary hospitals across the Giza area. Earlier local reports suggested the number of injured had climbed higher, but health officials confirmed that 88 people were admitted for formal treatment.
Regional hospitals declared a state of heightened alert to manage the sudden influx of patients. Medical teams treated passengers for bone fractures, concussions, and severe cuts.
Civil defence workers combed through the overturned cars to make sure no trapped passengers remained inside.
Official Inquiries and Accountability Demands
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi issued a statement expressing deep sorrow over the tragedy. He offered his condolences to the families of those who died.
The president ordered government agencies to deliver all necessary medical care to the wounded without delay. He also directed transport authorities to launch an immediate technical inquiry.
President Sisi stated that anyone found guilty of negligence would face strict legal accountability. Public prosecutors were dispatched to inspect the wreckage, collect track data, and question rail personnel.
Officials have not yet stated whether signal failure, human error, or track defects caused the rear-end collision.
Egypt's Rail Challenges in Focus
The crash took place in an area with a grim history of railway accidents. Al-Ayyat was the site of Egypt’s worst rail disaster in 2002, when a fire ripped through a passenger train and killed more than 370 people. Another fatal collision occurred in the same district in 2009.
Egypt is home to more than 110 million people and operates one of Africa’s largest and oldest rail networks. Millions of citizens rely on passenger trains every day for cheap travel between Cairo and southern provinces.
The country has spent billions of dollars in recent years to build high-speed lines, buy new locomotives, and upgrade highways. Despite those major investments, upgrading older regional lines and automated signalling systems remains an ongoing challenge.
