2009 El Ayyat railway accident

El Ayyat train collision
Location within Egypt
Date 24 October 2009
Location El Ayyat, Giza
Coordinates 29°37′00″N 31°15′00″E / 29.6167°N 31.25°E / 29.6167; 31.25
Country Egypt
Type of incident train collision
Cause Suspected SPAD
Statistics
Trains 2
Passengers 0
Deaths at least 50[1]
Injuries at least 30[1]
Damage several carriages destroyed

The El Ayyat train collision killed at least 50 people and injured 30 others on 24 October 2009.[1] The incident occurred in El Ayyat, 6th of October Governorate, located 50 km south of Cairo.[2][3][4][5] The official death toll has increased and might increase further.[6][7][8][9] One of the trains was going southward to visit the Asyut and Aswan, popular tourist destinations.[10]

A second train slammed into the first, which had stopped to allow an animal, described by various witnesses and officials as either a cow or a water buffalo, to make its way safely across.[1][11][12][13] The second train was first class and had many passengers aboard;[10] the first one was traveling light.[10] It was thought that two carriages were wrecked completely.[14]

Reports described passengers jumping out of the train, but one carriage fell on another and the two had to be separated by a crane.[7] Attempts to find survivors in the two carriages were eventually halted when rescuers concluded there were no further survivors in or under either car.[15] Carriages were cut to reach the passengers.[16] Casualties were hospitalised.[15] Searches continued throughout the night after the crash.[8]

Egyptian railway authorities immediately announced an investigation into the crash.[10] The Egyptian government was criticised for its reaction by some of the surviving passengers.[17] Dubai's daily newspaper Gulf News and Israeli publication The Jerusalem Post both suggested officials on-scene had been forbidden from speaking to the media about the incident.[18][19] The crash was first reported on Twitter, with news networks initially reluctant to provide coverage.[17]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Over 50 killed as one train rams into another in Egypt". Press Trust of India. 2009-10-25. Archived from the original on 30 October 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
  2. ↑ Reuters
  3. ↑
  4. ↑
  5. ↑ "25 die in train collision in Egypt". Press TV. 2009-10-25. Archived from the original on 26 October 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
  6. ↑ "Death toll in Egypt train collision rises to 25". RIA Novosti. 2009-10-25. Archived from the original on 28 October 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
  7. 1 2 "Passengers leap from train in crash that kills 25". The Sydney Morning Herald. 2009-10-26. Archived from the original on 28 October 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
  8. 1 2 "Egypt train collision kills 25". Euronews. 2009-10-25. Archived from the original on 5 November 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
  9. ↑ "So far 25 people dead as two trains head down same track". Al Arabiya. 2009-10-24. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "18 killed in Egypt train crash". RTÉ. 2009-10-25. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
  11. ↑ Adam Arnold (2009-10-25). "Water Buffalo Caused Deadly Train Crash". Sky News. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
  12. ↑ "Stray cow triggers deadly Egyptian train collision". The Australian. 2009-10-26. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
  13. ↑ "25 killed in Egyptian train crash". Radio Netherlands Worldwide. 2009-10-25. Archived from the original on 30 October 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
  14. ↑ "15 killed in Cairo train collision". Irish Independent. 2009-10-25. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
  15. 1 2 "Deadly train crash in Egypt". Al Jazeera. 2009-10-25. Archived from the original on 26 October 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
  16. ↑ "22 killed in Egypt train collision". Thaindian News. 2009-10-25. Archived from the original on 28 October 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
  17. 1 2 Bikya Masr staff (2009-10-25). "Egypt train crash leaves dozens dead". Bikya Masr. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
  18. ↑ "More than 25 dead, 55 injured in Egyptian train collision". Gulf News. 2009-10-25. Archived from the original on 28 October 2009. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
  19. ↑ "Egyptian police: 2 trains collide in Cairo outskirts, killing 14". The Jerusalem Post. 2009-10-24. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
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