Two passenger trains have collided in southern Egypt, AFP reported on Friday, with multiple videos from the incident emerging online. The Health Ministry stated later in the day that at least 32 people died and that 165 were injured in the catastrophe.
According to the local news, at least three carriages derailed as a result.
Authorities later said that someone allegedly pulled a hand brake on the train en route from Luxor to Alexandria, making it stop between the Maraga and Tahta stations, which resulted in the collision with the Aswan-Cairo train. A special committee has since been created to probe the crash, while Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi vowed to punish those responsible for the fatal incident.
حاجز تصادم جديد في مصر!
— Magda Mahfouz (@magdaMahfouzeg) March 26, 2021
قطارين في #سوهاج وضحايا جدد من المصريين!
#مصر pic.twitter.com/qzDRkVlToe
الله يرحم ضحايا القطار في #سوهاج
— HUSSIEN 🇱🇧❤️ (@BzeihHussien) March 26, 2021
ويشفي جميع الجرحى #مصر 🇪🇬🙏🏻 https://t.co/5t6xIRQ1rR
#مصر.. ضحايا باصطدام قطارين في #سوهاجhttps://t.co/m65G76hCOf#صحيفة_الخليج#الخليج_خمسون_عاماً pic.twitter.com/F7UdjNfjG9
— صحيفة الخليج (@alkhaleej) March 26, 2021
#BREAKING: Two trains collided in Sohag, Upper Egypt, resulting in derailing three passenger carriages. Injured people were reported.
— Ramy Abdu| رامي عبده (@RamAbdu) March 26, 2021
pic.twitter.com/tj3nMgW9D3
Authorities later said that someone allegedly pulled a hand brake on the train en route from Luxor to Alexandria, making it stop between the Maraga and Tahta stations, which resulted in the collision with the Aswan-Cairo train.
A special committee has been convened to investigate the disaster. Egypt's prosecutor general has left for the site of the crash and the president, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, vowed to punish whoever was responsible for the fatal incident.
Dr Hani Fouad, director of the Ambulance Facility in Sohag, told Sputnik that the casualty count continues.
