WEB DESK
At least 44 people were killed and nearly 180 others injured after two trains collided near Egypt’s coastal city of Alexandria.
The deadly collision took place yesterday after a train travelling to Alexandria from Cairo, crashed into the back of another train coming from the Canal city of Port Said, which was waiting at a small station in the district of Khorshid, east of Alexandria.
The Egyptian cabinet which met yesterday said in a statement that the number of deaths may increase and the final toll will be announced after clearing the debris of the two trains.
The area of the collision has been cordoned off by security forces as a rescue team is currently searching for survivors and removing the wreckage off the tracks.
Egypt’s Prosecutor-General Nabil Sadiq has ordered an urgent investigation into the collision to find out the reason behind the crash.
President El-Sisi has expressed his condolences to the victims and ordered government bodies to follow up on developments from the deadly collision and identify the cause of the accident.
Train accidents are common in Egypt. The deadliest rail accident occurred near the capital, Cairo in 2002, when a fire ripped through a crowded train killing more than 370 people.