Ten railway officials to be interrogated by prosecution

CAIRO – 13 August 2017: The Chairman of the Railway Authority, and nine other officials at the authority were called by the Public Prosecution on Sunday for interrogation on the shortcomings that caused Friday’s collision of two trains in Khorshid Station in Alexandria governorate.

These officials are the associate chairman for maintenance sector, the head of the Central Administration for Trains Operation, the general manager of the operating division at the central zone, the general manager of the infrastructure maintenance department, the general manager of the operating division at the Western zone, the technical supervisor of El Kabbari, the supervisor of trains movement at El Kabbari, the supervisor of railroads in Beida area, and the manager of Sidi Gaber Station of Alexandria.

The Public Prosecution has been conducting investigations in order to determine the officials against whom criminal charges will be brought.

East Alexandria prosecution decided to hold the driver of the Express 13 train, Emad Helmy, 41, for 15 days in custody. The inspector of the train was put under tight security in Gamal Abdel Nasser hospital, where he is being treated.

The KBC equipment of the train, which should help determine what caused the accident, was sent to forensics to be inspected and emptied.

The prosecution ordered the release of other train and station employees.
Blood and urine samples were taken from the Cairo train driver and his assistant to determine whether they were under the influence of any narcotics.

The head of the Sidi Gaber station was summoned Friday night and questioned about what could have caused the accident, and about his role as an official in coordinating successive trains.

The Express 13 train was headed from Cairo to Alexandria on Friday at 2:15 p.m. when it collided with the 571 train from headed from Port Said to Alexandria near Khorshid station. The accident caused an estimated 42 fatalities and 179 injuries according to the Ministry of Health and Population.