Switchman of Beheira train collision sentenced to 15 years in prison

CAIRO – 28 March 2019: The Criminal Court of Damanhour sentenced a switchman to 15 years in prison over the collision between a cargo and a passenger train in Kom Hamada last month.

The court also sentenced two signalers to one year in prison with hard labor for their involvement in the accident.

PRESS PHOTO: The accident left 15 people dead and at least 40 people injured

Last month, a cargo train collided with a passenger train outside a station in Kom Hamada, leaving 15 dead and at least 40 people injured.

The defendants were referred to trail last week.

On March 3, Beheira’s prosecution office ordered the train driver, his assistant and a rail worker to be detained for four days pending investigation.

Workers of Beheira train collision referred to trial

CAIRO - 23 May 2018: Egypt's Attorney General Nabil Sadek referred to trial on Wednesday the defendants in a collision accident between two trains in Beheira, where seven people were killed and 49 others injured, in February.

A statement by the Railway authority said the cause of the accident was that the train’s wheel detached from the third wagon and hit the cargo train.

Investigations revealed that the tragedy was caused by human error, as well as giving orders to switch the route of one of the trains before making sure that all its carriages passed the switch point.