20 killed in Cairo train crash and fire

Driver arrested for 'recklessness' while Egyptian transport minister resigns

CAIRO - At least 20 people were killed and dozens injured when a locomotive smashed through the buffers and burst into flames at the Egyptian capital's main train station on Wednesday.

Egypt's public prosecutor said a preliminary investigation indicated the driver stepped off the train to talk to another driver without pulling the hand brake, causing the unattended locomotive to speed off and hit a concrete platform.

Security camera footage from inside the city's Ramses Station showed the train failing to stop as it arrived at platform six, smashing through the buffers and a metal end railing and exploding into a huge ball of fire.

Passengers carrying luggage ran for their lives as the fire spread, and several people were running cloaked in flames, witnesses said.

Egyptian state television said the train driver had been arrested.

Health Minister Hala Zayed said authorities had not been able to identify many of the 20 bodies recovered because they were too badly burned.

Transport Minister Hisham Arafat said the train's diesel tank had exploded and led to the blaze. He resigned later on Wednesday. Electricity Minister Mohamed Shaker will take temporary charge of the transport ministry, a cabinet source said.

Witness Ibrahim Hussein said: "I saw a man pointing from the locomotive as it entered the platform, and screaming 'There are no brakes! There are no brakes!', before he jumped out of the locomotive. And I don't know what happened to him."

The fire sent smoke billowing above the station. Inside, the train's charred engine could be seen tilted to one side next to a platform.

Railway officials said the single railcar was traveling too fast when it collided head-on with the barrier.

Bystander Mina Ghaly added: "I was standing on the platform and I saw the train speed into the barrier. ... Everyone started running but a lot of people died after the locomotive exploded. I saw at least nine corpses lying on the ground, charred."

Zayed, the health minister, said that as well as the 20 killed, 43 people were injured, 15 of whom had been released after treatment. State television earlier put the death toll at 25 and said 50 were injured.

Ahmed Youssef, a doctor at nearby Al Helal hospital, said more than 20 injured people had been admitted, most of them in serious condition.

Witness Ahmed Abdeltawab said the platform had been crowded with passengers waiting for another train and people fled in flames.

"The fire overwhelmed them and they ran while they were on fire until they fell meters from the incident," he said. "The scene was terrifying."

Egypt General Prosecutor Nabil Sadek ordered an extensive investigation.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi said on Wednesday: "I have instructed the government to immediately rush to the accident scene to follow up the situation and hold those responsible accountable after the results of an accurate investigation.

The accident triggered an online debate among many Egyptians, with many blaming the government for not improving railway services. Official figures show that 1,793 train accidents took place in 2017 across the country.

In March last year, Sisi said the government lacked 250 billion Egyptian pounds, or about $14.1 billion, to overhaul the run-down rail system. He spoke a day after a passenger train collided with a cargo train, killing at least 12 people, including a child.

Reuters - Ap - Xinhua