UPDATE: Injury toll of Upper Egypt’s Sohag train collision rises to 108

 

CAIRO – 26 March 2021:  The toll of the injured people in a collision of two trains in the city of Tahta in Sohag, Upper Egypt, on Friday rose to 108 from 91 so far, while the number of deaths reached 32, announced Egyptian Ministry of Health.

 

Authorities initially think that the accident was caused after unknown passengers pulled the emergency valve of a Luxor-Alexandria train leading it to stop and get smashed by an Aswan-Cairo train from behind. The collision led to overturning of 2 passenger carriages and a locomotive, according to a statement from the Egyptian Railway.

 

The Ministry of Health increased the number of the ambulance to 74 to transport the victims to the hospitals, adding that all hospitals in Sohag have enough stock of blood bags, with additional 3,000 bags.

 

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi said a “deterrent punishment” will be inflicted on whoever caused by any means the “tragic” train collision in Sohag to take place.

 

“The deterrent penalty will be inflicted on all those who caused this tragic accident to happen through negligence, corruption or anything else, without exception, delay or procrastination,” the president wrote on his Twitter account.

 

Sisi said he directed officials and all concerned authorities to be present at the scene of the accident to follow up on the issue and brief him with the developments.

 

Sisi urged relevant authorities to take all necessary procedures and provide an appropriate compensation for the families of the victims.

 

The president said this “pain squeezing our hearts today will only increase our determination to end such type of disasters”.

 

He wished the injured citizens a speedy recovery and offered condolences to the families of the deaths.

 

Meanwhile, Attorney General Hamada El Sawi headed to the site of the incident for investigations, calling on all parties not to publish any data about the accidents for the sake of investigation process.

 

A technical committee has been formed by the Egyptian Railway Authority to follow up on the situation and investigate into the accident, the authority said, noting that it is following up on the situation to resume the train traffic as soon as possible.

 

Egyptian Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouli and five ministers headed to the the hospitals to visits the injured people, ordering the government to quickly provide them the medical service. Egypt’s Cabinet Spokesperson Nader Saad said that Government will provide the relatives of the Sohag train collision victims with urgent aid.

 

EU Delegation in Cairo, headed by Ambassador Christian Berger, offered its heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims of the train collision. Also, Kuwaiti Crown Prince Sheikh Mishaal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah offered his condolence to President Sisi and the Egyptian people for the loss of the victims, Kuwait’s news agency KUNA reported.