Fire fighters at the scene of a train crash in the Egyptian capital on February 27, 2019. AFP/Khaled DESOUKI
A fiery train crash killed at least 20 people at Cairo’s main railway station on Wednesday, Egyptian security and medical sources said. The accident, which sparked a major blaze at the Ramses station, also injured 40 others, the sources said.The fire broke out after a train crashed into a steel barrier, the sources said.
Photos showed a thick cloud of black smoke billowing around the station. Firefighters were seen hosing down the charred wreckage of the train.Footage also showed fire engulfing the train and a nearby platform and people rushing to help the casualties.“Any person found to be negligent will be held accountable and it will be severe,” Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli said as he arrived at the site.
Egyptians have long complained that the government has failed to deal with chronic transport problems in the country, where roads are as poorly maintained as railway lines.