Driver of crashed train locomotive mainly responsible for blaze: Initial probe

CAIRO 1 March 2019: Driver of the crashed train locomotive is mainly responsible for the accident that claimed the lives of 22 people at Ramses Train station in downtown Cairo, according to the initial investigations.

The investigations are still being conducted by a six-member committee assigned by the General Prosecution.

A train locomotive, with no driver on board, was seen moving at an extremely high speed and crashing into the platform's buffer stop, causing an explosion of the fuel tank and triggering a huge blaze that left 22 people dead, and 41 injured, according to the health minister's latest remarks. Police ordered taking DNA samples from the dead to know their relatives.

The accused driver, Alaa Fathy, said that the crashed locomotive was hit by another locomotive moving in an opposite direction at the maintenance area, pushing Fathy to change the locomotive to another direction. Then, Fathy got out of the railcar and quarreled with his colleague without braking. Consequently, the locomotive moved and crashed into the platform, according to the initial investigations.

Meanwhile, the General Prosecution has asked for the National Security investigative reports to probe into any possible link between the driver and outlawed terrorist organizations.

Additional reporting by Amr Mohamed Kandil