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| Photo taken on Jan. 15, 2013 shows the train derail accident site at the Giza neighborhoods of Badrashin, Egypt. A military train derailed in Egypt early Tuesday, killing at least 19 conscripts and injuring 107 others, a spokesman from the Health Ministry said in a statement to official MENA news agency. (Xinhua) |
CAIRO, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- A military train derailed in Egypt early Tuesday, killing at least 19 conscripts and injuring 107 others, a spokesman from the Health Ministry said in a statement to official MENA news agency.
The train carrying new recruits was travelling from south Egypt to their military camp in Cairo and the two carriages of the train derailed in Giza's Badrasheen district, south of Cairo, said the statement.
Around 66 ambulances rushed to the scene to send the injured to the nearby hospital, said Ahmed Omar, the ministry's spokesman.
Meanwhile, Egypt's newly-appointed Prosecutor General, Talat Ibrahim Abdullah ordered an urgent investigation into the accident, asserting that those responsible will be referred to the criminal courts.
Prime Minister Hesham Qandil has also cancelled his visit to Cairo's Maasarah district so as to follow the developments of the accident.
For his part, Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim went to the site of the accident and ordered policemen to spare no efforts to rescue the injured.
The nearby citizens brought food and blankets for the survivors, who spent their night in the mosques, official Ahram online said.
The general prosecutor for South Giza, Ahmed Al-Bahrawi, has ordered to form a technical committee to check the carriages to find out the reasons behind the accident.
Minister of Insurance and Social Affairs Nagwa Khalil said that the government decided to compensate the families of each dead person with about 1,524 U.S. dollars and 304 dollars for the injured.
Khalil added that the ministry will also provide social insurance pensions and urgent allowances to help the families of the victims, MENA said.
The other trains, which were halted by the accident, will be resumed after removing the rubbles of the derailed carriages.
Last November, a train collided with a school bus in southern Egypt leaving dozens of children killed. Shortly after the tragedy, Egyptian transportation minister resigned.
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