Train collision in northern Egypt kills 3, injures dozens

By Anadolu staff

ISTANBUL (AA) – Three people were killed and 49 others injured in a train collision in the Nile Delta province of Sharqia in northern Egypt, the Health Ministry said on Sunday.

Five of the injured were in unstable condition after the crash, which took place in the city of Zaqaziq on Saturday evening, the ministry added in a statement.

The Zagaziq Health Directorate said two children were among the fatalities.

Egypt’s top prosecutor ordered an investigation to determine the circumstances of the collision while Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly formed a committee of experts to investigate its cause, local media said.

Train derailments and crashes are common in Egypt, but local authorities have worked for years to upgrade the country's railway network to reduce train accidents.

Around 2.5 million passengers use trains in Egypt daily, according to Transport Minister Kamel El-Wazir.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi