Arabic version: مقتل سبعة في تصادم قطارين قرب الجيزة

According to BBC News, at least seven people have died and more than 100 have been injured after two trains collided near the Egyptian city of Giza. Several carriages derailed and fell down an embankment, prompting a major emergency response.

Egypt’s railway authority said the first train was travelling from Giza to Fayoum, south of Cairo, when it struck the rear of another southbound service from Cairo to Aswan that was stationary on the tracks. The driver of one of the trains was among those killed, the health ministry confirmed.

Hospitals in the area were placed on “heightened alert” to deal with what the government described as a massive influx of patients. Health Minister Dr Khaled Abdel Ghaffar said those injured were being treated for broken bones and head injuries. The Egyptian Red Crescent said it was providing aid and psychological support to victims and their families at the scene.

President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi said he had ordered authorities to investigate the circumstances and hold anyone found negligent accountable. The public prosecutor’s office warned that the death toll could rise. Train services between Giza and the Upper Egypt region were suspended while cranes were sent to remove the wreckage; the railway authority did not say how long the work would take.

The collision happened between Kafr Ammar and Al-Raqqa stations in Al-Ayyat, near the site of Egypt’s deadliest rail tragedy in February 2002. Foreign officials, including Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry and Turkey’s ambassador to Egypt, expressed condolences and support for those affected.