Woman killed as cargo train derailed in northern Egypt

CAIRO – 23 June 2022: A woman was killed on Wednesday as a cargo train derailed in northern Egypt’s Beheira, according to a statement by the Egyptian National Railways (ENR).

The cargo train carrying grains was moving from El-Salam to El-Bostan stations when some of its railcars derailed and caused the death of the woman that was near the scene, the ENR statement added.

A technical committee formed of engineers and technicians was dispatched to the scene to disclose the causes of the incident, the ENR said, adding that it regrets the accident.

Over the past year, Egypt has seen deadly train accidents amid pledges to upgrade the railway system and replace the rickety railcars.

In March 2021, a Sohag train accident in Upper Egypt killed 19 people and injured 185 others. Less that a month later, a total of 11 people were killed and 98 injured in the derailment of a train in Toukh in the Delta.

Following Sohag accident, President Abdel Fattah El Sisi stressed the need for promoting safety and security criteria for passengers, noting that a full upgrade of the railway system is the only way to end such kind of accident.

He directed the application of all measures to achieve a balance between the comprehensive upgrading plan of the railway system and the operation of trains nationwide.