A fight between two train conductors on Wednesday unleashed a speeding, unmanned locomotive that slammed into a barrier and exploded in the Egyptian capital’s main railway station, killing at least 25 people, authorities said.
Railway officials said the single locomotive collided head-on with the buffer stop, causing a huge explosion and fire.
At least 47 people were also injured, many of them critically, and officials said the death toll could rise.
Photo: AFP
The deadly blaze blasted through people on the platform in the busy Ramses Station in downtown Cairo.
A surveillance video showed the moment of impact when the locomotive barreled past men and women walking by, and engulfed them in flames and smoke.
Charred bodies lay on the platform and a man in flames ran down a staircase in panic, other photographs and videos posted on social media showed.
Egyptian Prosecutor General Nabil Sadek said investigators determined the locomotive’s conductor had left his car to fight with another conductor whose car was blocking his, but the conductor left without putting on the brakes and the other car began moving backward, freeing the locomotive, which then gathered speed and hit the barrier, exploding.
“The driver left the car without taking any measures to brake it,” Sadek said in a statement.
Sadek put the death toll at 20, while health officials said at least 25 people were killed and dozens more were injured in the crash and ensuing fire. Some of the bodies were burned beyond recognition and DNA tests were carried out to determine identities.
The driver of the car has been questioned and Sadek said the investigation was continuing.
The deadly accident prompted Egyptian Minister of Transportation Hisham Arafat to resign his post, a statement released by the Cabinet office said.
Ramses District is among the busiest and most crowded areas of Cairo. The state railway agency briefly halted all train traffic and ordered the evacuation of the station.
The accident triggered an online debate among many Egyptians, with many blaming the government for not improving railway services, even after a series of deadly accidents.
Several noted previous statements by Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi arguing about spending billions on improving trains.
Video from surveillance cameras showed flames ravaging the station’s interior. One video that surfaced on social media showed men and women carrying bags and personal belongings, and walking on the rail platforms as the train car crashes and explodes.
Another showed men and women running and searching for exits after the explosion. A man is seen running back and forth, his shirt on fire, until another man rushes to pour water on him.
Mohammed Said of Cairo Railroad hospital said at least 25 were killed, but that the death toll could rise.
Many of the wounded were in critical condition, mostly suffering severe burns, Egyptian Minister of Health and Population Hala Zayed said.
Egyptian Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli vowed harsh punishment for those behind the accident.
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