Another train derails in Toukh, Qalyubiya killing 11, injuring 97

At least 11 people were killed after a train derailed on Sunday near the city of Toukh in Qalyubiya Governorate and 97 were injured, according to the Health Ministry.

The incident occurred around 2 pm, when train number 949 traveling from Cairo to Mansoura derailed and four of the train’s cars overturned near Sandanhour Station, the National Railway Authority wrote in a statement published by the Cabinet. The Public Prosecution announced it has sent a team to investigate the incident and the railway line is reportedly closed. According to the Health Ministry statement, the injured were transferred to Banha Teaching Hospital, Qalyub Specialized Hospital and Banha University Hospital.

Ashraf Raslan, the head of the National Railway Authority, told the privately owned Al-Watan newspaper that the train driver and the driver’s assistant have been detained for questioning. Meanwhile, Transport Minister Major General Kamel al-Wazir assured the public that he would not be resigning from his position and would hold those responsible to account, in comments similar to those he made following a March 26 train collision in Sohag that left 20 people dead and wounded nearly 200, according to a statement by the Public Prosecution. An initial death toll of 32 was later adjusted down to 20 by the Public Prosecution.

Wazir's comments on Sunday then highlighted the behavior of ordinary citizens around rail lines, citing a tuk tuk driver who had driven onto the railway and a young man who had posed on the tracks, calling on Egyptians to "cooperate" while railway reforms are made.

Train incidents are a frequent occurrence on the national railway network, which serves nearly 1.5 million people daily. According to CAPMAS, the government statistics agency, there were fewer train incidents in 2019 — 1,863 in total — than the previous year, but they were more deadly: there were 42.4 deaths per 100 injured in 2019, compared to 34.3 deaths in 2018.

Although official bodies are yet to announce the cause of Sunday’s crash, a report by Mada Masr in 2019 found that structural issues on the railway network contribute to the recurrence of incidents, including difficult working conditions for railway workers and the obligation to disregard safety standards in order to adhere to operating schedules.

[8:40 pm]: This article was updated to include the death toll provided by the Health Ministry and the transportation minister's comments.