Saudi King, CP condole with Sisi after Ramses railway blaze

CAIRO - 28 February 2019: King Salman of Saudi Arabia and Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman sent a cable of condolences to the Egyptian president following the Ramses Railway Station blaze that killed 20 people according to the official toll.

On Wednesday, a train, with no driver on board, was seen moving at an extremely high speed and crashing into the platform's buffer stop at Cairo's busiest and main railway station, located in Ramses district.

The collision caused the explosion of the fuel tank and triggered a huge blaze, leaving 20 people dead, and 43 injured, according to the health minister's latest remarks. Police ordered taking DNA samples from the dead to know their relatives.

"We have learned the news about the fire that broke out in Ramses Railway Station in Cairo, and resulted in deaths and injuries," the Saudi king said, adding: "We send your highness, the families of the deceased and people of the Republic of Egypt, on the behalf of the Saudi people and government and on our behalf, the deepest and sincerest condolences."

Also, Yemen's President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi and Sultan Qaboos bin Said of Oman mourned the victims. Sending a cable to Sisi, Sultan Qaboos prayed to God to rest the victims' souls in peace, and grant their families patience.

A statement by the Jordanian Press Agency said King Abdullah II extends his deepest condolences and sympathy for the victims of the accident. Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas also sent a cable to condole President Sisi.

Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmed el-Tayyeb and the Orthodox Church, led by Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria, offered on Wednesday condolences for the victims' families.

“We pray for families of the victims that may god bless their souls and grant the injured full recovery,” an official statement from the church said.

President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi offered on Wednesday his condolences to the families of the victims who passed away in a blaze at Cairo’s Ramses Railway Station, wishing a quick recovery for all the injured.

Sisi said that he issued directives for the government to immediately move to the incident, identify and punish whoever is responsible for it after thorough investigation. He added that he directed to provide the necessary health care for the injured.