What we know about Ramses Railway Station fatal blaze

CAIRO - 27 February 2019: Cairo's busiest and main railway station, located in Ramses district, saw this morning one of the deadliest train accidents, when a train, with no driver on board, was seen moving at an extremely high speed and crashing into the platform's buffer stop.

The collision caused an explosion of the fuel tank and triggered a huge blaze, leaving 20 people dead, and 43 injured, according to health minister's latest remarks. Police ordered taking DNA samples from the dead to know their relatives.

Immediately, 30 ambulances arrived at the scene to transfer the injured to the nearest hospitals while fire fighters managed to control the blaze, according to the minister.

Although the Egyptian National Railways explained earlier that the railcar "inclined," before it could crash, official sources told Egypt Today that the railcar could not move with such high speed without a driver unless someone had set it to move.

The sources said that investigations will reveal who tampered with the locomotive. Also, police arrested the driver who was set to be driving the train.


Egypt's Transportation Minister Hesham Arafat submitted his resignation to the prime minister on the background of the blaze. Cabinet Spokesman Nader Saad said that the prime minister approved the minister's resignation.

Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli and ministers of transportation and social solidarity headed to the scene. Minister of Health Hala Zayed has followed up on the condition of the injured, and announced moving them to local hospitals including al-Helal Hospital.

Speaking in a sharp tone, Madbouli affirmed that those who caused the collision of a train locomotive in Cairo's Ramses Railway station will be severely punished.

He said that those who fail to perform their duties and thus harm the lives of the Egyptian people will be punished. He added that a technical high-level committee was formed to investigate the incident.

Egypt's President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi then commented on the incident, and issued a strict statement vowing to punish those responsible for the incident.

“I issued immediate directives for the government to identify and punish whoever responsible for this catastrophe after thorough investigation and providing the necessary health care for the injured,” Sisi stated ahead of attending a press conference with his Albanian counterpart in the Presidential Palace.

The Egyptian Cabinet announced LE 80,000 ($4,570) as a compensation for each family of the victims who were killed in the blaze, and LE 25,000 ($1,428) for each of the injured. Also, Alaa al-Zohairi, head of the Insurance Federation of Egypt, said that LE 30,000 ($1,713) will be immediately given to each of the victims' families.

Zayed said that some of the injured individuals are in a critical condition, while others suffer light-to-medium injuries, adding that some of them suffer bruises and broken bones. The Health Ministry further stressed that all the injured are receiving the necessary treatment. She revealed in a press statement that 15 injured people could already leave hospital after receiving proper treatment.

The National Press Authority (NPA) offered on Wednesday condolences for the victims' families, calling on media outlets and newspapers not to “extensively” publish photos of the victims as this would contradict “human values” and cause severe pain for their families.

The Egyptian Orthodox Church, led by Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria, offered on Wednesday sincere condolences for the victims' families. “We pray for families of the victims that may god bless their souls and grant the injured full recovery,” an official statement from the church said.



A train crashed into the platform at high speed at Cairo's Ramsis Railway station - Egypt Today/KhaledKamel


A train crashed into the platform at high speed at Cairo's Ramsis Railway station - Egypt Today/KhaledKamel


A train crashed into the platform at high speed at Cairo's Ramsis Railway station - Egypt Today/KhaledKamel


A train crashed into the platform at high speed at Cairo's Ramsis Railway station - Egypt Today/KhaledKamel


A train crashed into the platform at high speed at Cairo's Ramsis Railway station - Egypt Today/KhaledKamel


A train crashed into the platform at high speed at Cairo's Ramsis Railway station - Egypt Today/KhaledKamel


A train crashed into the platform at high speed at Cairo's Ramsis Railway station - Egypt Today/KhaledKamel


A train crashed into the platform at high speed at Cairo's Ramsis Railway station - Egypt Today/KhaledKamel


A train crashed into the platform at high speed at Cairo's Ramsis Railway station - Egypt Today/KhaledKamel


A train crashed into the platform at high speed at Cairo's Ramsis Railway station - Egypt Today/KhaledKamel


A train crashed into the platform at high speed at Cairo's Ramsis Railway station - Egypt Today/KhaledKamel


A train crashed into the platform at high speed at Cairo's Ramsis Railway station - Egypt Today/KhaledKamel


A train crashed into the platform at high speed at Cairo's Ramsis Railway station - Egypt Today/KhaledKamel


A train crashed into the platform at high speed at Cairo's Ramsis Railway station - Egypt Today/KhaledKamel


A train crashed into the platform at high speed at Cairo's Ramsis Railway station - Egypt Today/KhaledKamel


A train crashed into the platform at high speed at Cairo's Ramsis Railway station - Egypt Today/KhaledKamel


A train crashed into the platform at high speed at Cairo's Ramsis Railway station - Egypt Today/KhaledKamel


A train crashed into the platform at high speed at Cairo's Ramsis Railway station - Egypt Today/KhaledKamel


A train crashed into the platform at high speed at Cairo's Ramsis Railway station - Egypt Today/KhaledKamel


A train crashed into the platform at high speed at Cairo's Ramsis Railway station - Egypt Today/KhaledKamel


A train crashed into the platform at high speed at Cairo's Ramsis Railway station - Egypt Today/KhaledKamel


A train crashed into the platform at high speed at Cairo's Ramsis Railway station - Egypt Today/KhaledKamel


A train crashed into the platform at high speed at Cairo's Ramsis Railway station - Egypt Today/KhaledKamel


A train crashed into the platform at high speed at Cairo's Ramsis Railway station - Egypt Today/KhaledKamel


A train crashed into the platform at high speed at Cairo's Ramsis Railway station - Egypt Today/KhaledKamel


A train crashed into the platform at high speed at Cairo's Ramsis Railway station - Egypt Today/KhaledKamel


A train crashed into the platform at high speed at Cairo's Ramsis Railway station - Egypt Today/KhaledKamel


A train crashed into the platform at high speed at Cairo's Ramsis Railway station - Egypt Today/KhaledKamel


A train crashed into the platform at high speed at Cairo's Ramsis Railway station - Egypt Today/KhaledKamel


A train crashed into the platform at high speed at Cairo's Ramsis Railway station - Egypt Today/KhaledKamel


A train crashed into the platform at high speed at Cairo's Ramsis Railway station - Egypt Today/KhaledKamel