Egypt’s prosecution detains railway technician over deadly train crash in Suez

CAIRO – 28 April 2021: The Egyptian Public Prosecution ordered on Tuesday detaining a railway technician for four days pending investigation after a train crash that killed one and injured three in Suez on the dame day.

Train no. 115 travelling from Ismailia to Suez crashed into a pickup truck towing a trailer and loaded with bricks. The accident took place in a level crossing in Suez’s Al-Amer village.

The prosecution detained the technician responsible for closing the level crossing when the train is coming.

Witnesses, however, told the prosecution that the level crossing was open when the train arrived.

The pickup truck driver said he only passed through the level crossing when he was sure it was open and was hit by the train from the left side.

The technician denied the allegations and confirmed that he closed the crossing when he was notified that the train is coming.

The only fatality was a worker in the pickup truck. Two train passengers and the pickup driver were injured.

This comes only a week after four carriages of a train derailed near Toukh city, Qalioubya, killing 23 people and injuring 139 others.

Tuesday’s collision is the fourth train crash in a month.

Egypt’s Transport Minister Kamel El-Wazir vowed to develop the railway system and replace old rail cars with new ones.

Speaking after a deadly train crash in Sohag that killed at least 19 people in March, El-Wazir noted that authorities will also install an automatic train control that can stop the train in the event of any emergency.