Egypt’s president orders inquiry after train crash kills at least 7

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi ordered an urgent investigation into the collision and urged state agencies to hold accountable anyone found to have been negligent.

Parliament’s Transport and Communications Committee met el-Wazir on 10 November to discuss the crash and ways to prevent similar accidents, Al Jazeera said. The meeting followed the November 8 collision in al-Ayyat, in Giza province. Egypt’s Ministry of Health and Population said at least 7 people died and more than 125 were injured.

Collision and emergency response

One train hit the rear of another on the Cairo–Aswan line. Egypt’s railway authority said the two trains were travelling south from Giza and Cairo and that several carriages derailed and fell down an embankment; authorities said several overturned.

Officials said 52 ambulances were sent to the scene. Trains between Giza and Upper Egypt were suspended as cranes were dispatched to remove the wreckage, while emergency crews worked to clear the line and restore traffic. Egypt’s public prosecutor’s office warned that the death toll could rise.

Committee scrutiny and calls for dismissals

Before the meeting, committee secretary Ahmed el-Derby said its purpose was not to interrogate the minister or confront him with predetermined accusations. He opposed hasty demands to dismiss officials, saying dismissals alone would not solve the crisis.

Atef el-Maghawry, head of the Tagammu Party’s parliamentary bloc, called for the entire government to be dismissed. He argued that replacing the transport minister alone would not be enough and that government policies needed to change.

The cause of the collision remains unresolved. El-Derby said, citing the signalling director, that railway signals had issued a stop instruction, but it was unclear whether the driver received the warning early enough to stop. The investigation is to establish the circumstances and responsibility.