Trains collide in southern Egypt

At least 32 people died when one train struck another en route to Alexandria on Friday. The Health Ministry in a statement said 66 other people sustained injuries. Health responders transferred the injured to four nearby hospitals.

What caused the accident? Someone activated the emergency brakes on the passenger train as it traveled to the port city of Alexandria, according to Egypt’s Railway Authorities. The train stopped abruptly and another incoming train struck it from behind, causing two carriages to flip over. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said those responsible would receive “a deterrent punishment.” Egypt’s railway system has suffered a record number of crashes due to outdated equipment and poor management. More than 300 people died in 2002 when a fire broke out on a train traveling from Cairo to southern Egypt.

Dig deeper: From the WORLD archives, read Rachel Lynn Aldrich’s Sift on a train crash in Cairo in 2019.