A tragic railway accident occurred in Egypt’s Ismailia Governorate on Thursday. Ten people were killed and 10 others were injured when a minibus collided with a train while trying to cross the railway at an inappropriate point. The Egyptian National Railways said in a statement that the accident occurred when the minibus entered the railway at the wrong point while trying to cross at speed.
Ambulances Were Dispatched to the Scene
Following the accident, medical teams quickly intervened at the scene. The Egyptian Ministry of Health dispatched 13 ambulances immediately after the accident and the injured were taken to Al-Qantara Sharq Central Hospital. While the injured are still being treated, authorities have made statements on how the accident occurred and the precautions to be taken.
Indemnification and Safety Warnings
Following the accident, Egyptian Prime Minister Mustafa Medbouli ordered compensation to be paid to the families of those who lost their lives. The Ministry of Social Solidarity was ordered to initiate the necessary procedures to pay each family 100.000 Egyptian pounds (approximately 1.974 US dollars).
The Egyptian National Railways has warned drivers and pedestrians to use railway crossings correctly to prevent such tragic incidents from happening again. Following the accident, authorities stated that they will review measures to be taken regarding railway safety.
Deadliest Railroad Accident in History
Egypt has been the scene of major rail accidents before. The deadliest rail disaster in the country’s history occurred in 2002 in the Ayyat district of Giza governorate, when a fire broke out on a train traveling from Cairo to Luxor, killing more than 380 people. This latest accident has brought the country’s rail safety deficiencies back into the spotlight.
