120 injured as four train carriages derail in Egypt

Dubai: At least 120 people were injured when four carriages of a passenger train derailed near the village of Gerza in Egypt's Giza Governorate on Sunday, local media reported.

The accident occurred in the Al Ayat area, prompting an emergency response involving 50 ambulances, civil defence teams and security personnel, according to reports by Egyptian news outlets.

The injured were transported to nearby hospitals in Beni Suef Governorate for medical treatment, while hospitals in Giza were placed on high alert to receive casualties.

Initial reports indicated that the Ministry of Health had dispatched 20 ambulances to the scene before increasing the number to 50 as the scale of the accident became clear.

The incident was reported to the Giza Governorate operations room after four train carriages left the tracks near Gerza village.

Civil defence teams, security forces and emergency medical personnel rushed to the scene, while railway recovery cranes were deployed to deal with the derailed carriages and clear the affected tracks.

Authorities continued to assess the number of casualties and manage the aftermath of the accident.

Egyptian prosecutors have launched an investigation to determine the cause of the derailment, ordering police inquiries and the questioning of witnesses and injured passengers.

The circumstances surrounding the accident remain under investigation.