Egypt: 25 Dead in High-Speed Train Crash

At least 25 people have died and 40 more were injured after a speeding train crashed into a barrier at a train-station in Cairo, Egypt.

According to reports, the crash took place on Wednesday, 27 February, at Ramses Station. Railway officials say that the train had been speeding before it collided with a buffer stop near the end of one of the platforms.

The collision caused the train’s fuel tank to explode. Eventually, the platform and nearby buildings were engulfed in flames.

This resulted in the evacuation of the station, and for the state railway agency to briefly suspend all train traffic.

An anonymous source told a media outlet that the train had been undergoing maintenance when it began moving at high speed towards the station without a conductor.

The injured were taken to local hospitals for treatment. An investigation into the crash is currently underway.

Egypt’s railway system is known for its poor safety record. In August 2017, 43 people died when two passenger trains collided outside the port city of Alexandria.