Locomotive that caused Ramses station fire had no driver: official

CAIRO - 27 February 2019: The train locomotive that declined this morning and crashed into a buffer stop on platform 6, causing the fuel tank of the locomotive to explode, was discovered to be without a driver, official sources told Egypt Today.

Security forces arrested train driver Alaa A., who was set to be driving the train, the sources said, adding that the locomotive headed to the station to pull one of the trains. It then declined and crashed into the station's buffer stop.



Egyptian National Railways ordered halting rail traffic after a fire broke out at the main train station. Photographs on social media showed clouds of black smoke billowing from the building in central Cairo. However, the traffic was resumed except for platform 6.

Health Minister Hala Zayed headed to al-Helal hospital to follow up on the condition of the injuries, ministry spokesman Khaled Megahed said.

A health official source said the number of injured has exceeded 35 people so far.