Three people, including two children, lost their lives when two trains collided in northern Egypt on Saturday, according to reports from the health ministry and state media. The train crash, which took place in Zagazig, approximately 80 kilometres (50 miles) north of Cairo, is the latest in a string of fatal accidents plaguing Egypt’s vast rail network. The network has long struggled with ageing infrastructure and poor management.
The collision also left 49 people injured, the health ministry confirmed in a statement on Facebook. The state-run newspaper Al-Ahram reported that two children were among those killed.
Egypt, home to over 105 million people, heavily relies on its rail system, one of the largest in Africa. However, the network has been the site of numerous deadly accidents in recent years. In 2021, two separate rail disasters within the span of a month resulted in over 40 fatalities.