CAIRO (AP) — On Saturday, two passenger trains collided in Egypt’s Nile Delta, resulting in the deaths of at least three individuals, including two children, according to officials.
The accident occurred in the city of Zagazig, which is the capital of Sharqiya province, as reported by the country’s railway authority. Additionally, Egypt’s Health Ministry stated that over 40 people were injured in the crash.
Train accidents and derailments are not uncommon in Egypt, where the railway infrastructure is old and has suffered from poor management. In recent years, the government has announced plans to upgrade and improve the railway system.
In 2018, President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi noted that approximately 250 billion Egyptian pounds (around $8.13 billion) would be necessary to effectively revamp the country’s neglected railway network.
Videos taken from the scene of the accident showed one of the train cars severely damaged by the impact, with large crowds gathered around it. Bystanders attempted to help the injured passengers by lifting them through the windows of the affected train car.
Just last month, a different train accident occurred in Alexandria, a Mediterranean province, where a train collided with a truck that was on the tracks, resulting in two fatalities.
