Egypt to severely punish train crash perpetrator who killed 32

The scene of the train accident in Sohag, Egypt, March 26, 2021. Photo: AFP/TTXVN

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has vowed to severely punish those responsible for a deadly train collision in the southern province of Sohag that killed at least 32 people and injured dozens more.

According to a VNA reporter in Cairo, in a statement posted on his official Facebook account on March 26, President El-Sisi said that whoever caused this tragic accident, whether due to negligence or intentional or any other reason, will face severe punishment.

The Egyptian leader also sent condolences to the victims' families, pledged to provide adequate compensation to their families, and affirmed his determination to end similar disasters.

The latest information from the Egyptian Ministry of Health shows that at least 32 people were killed and 91 others were injured in this train accident. More than 70 ambulances were mobilized to the scene to take the victims to 4 major hospitals in Sohag province.

Meanwhile, the Egyptian Railway Authority revealed that “unidentified individuals” activated the emergency brakes in several carriages of the Luxor-Alexandria train 157, causing it to stop and collide with a second Aswan-Cairo train coming from behind.

The Egyptian Ministry of Transport has established a technical committee to investigate the cause of the accident, in addition to efforts to soon restore rail traffic in the area.

The Egyptian public prosecutor's office also opened an urgent investigation into the accident and sent a team of investigators to the scene.

Egypt has one of the oldest railway systems in the region and has frequent accidents, most notably a serious one in 2002 that killed at least 360 people.