Two passenger trains collided in Egypt’s Nile Delta city of Zagazig on Saturday, resulting in the deaths of at least three people, including two children, and injuring around 40 others, according to authorities. The crash, which occurred in Sharqiya province, has raised further concerns about Egypt’s aging and mismanaged railway system.
Video footage from the scene shows a train car severely damaged by the collision, with onlookers assisting the injured. Efforts to rescue passengers involved lifting them through windows due to the severity of the impact.
Egypt has faced a series of train derailments and crashes in recent years, prompting the government to announce plans for significant railway reforms. In 2018, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi highlighted the need for approximately $8.13 billion to overhaul the country’s neglected rail network.
Last month, a similar tragedy occurred in Alexandria when a train collided with a truck at a crossing, resulting in two fatalities. The repeated incidents underscore ongoing challenges in Egypt’s rail transportation system.