Dubai: At least 20 Egyptians were injured early Sunday when two trains collided near the village of Maqoussa in Minya, with authorities raising medical alert levels in nearby hospitals.
The Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population dispatched 23 ambulances to the scene, where civil protection forces are working to rescue trapped passengers after two carriages derailed in the collision.
The crash occurred as one train’s tractor struck the rear of another sleeper train traveling from Aswan to Cairo, according to the Railway Authority.
Several carriages fell into the Ibrahimiya water canal, and emergency crews have since separated the train from the damaged wagons, allowing it to resume its journey toward Cairo.
Egypt’s Minister of Industry and Transport, Kamel Al Wazir, has tasked the Deputy Minister for Railways and Electric Traction and the head of the Railway Authority with visiting the site.
A committee of railway specialists has been appointed to investigate the technical causes behind the accident. Authorities continue to assess the circumstances surrounding the incident as the situation develops.
