Dozens killed in fire at Cairo train station triggered by fuel tank explosion on speeding train
Egypt train fire: At least 25 dead and 50 injured with bodies strewn on tracks
WARNING – GRAPHIC IMAGES The train was entering the main station in Cairo from Alexandria when the blaze erupted, according to local reports
ByHaitham AhmedDanya BazaraaNews Reporter
- 08:32, 27 FEB 2019
- Updated13:27, 27 FEB 2019
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At least 25 people are dead and 50 injured after a huge fire broke out on a train entering a major train station in Egypt , state television reports.
Horrifying pictures of bodies strewn on the tracks and a platform have emerged after the fire reportedly caused the train to derail.
The train was entering the main Ramses station in Cairo, the capital city, from Alexandria when the blaze erupted, according to local reports.
Shocking photographs show bodies charred by flames lying on the tracks and platform, with flames in the background and plumes of smoke billowing.
Inside the station, the train’s blackened engine could be seen tilted to one side next to a platform full of terrified witnesses.
A dramatic video shows bright orange flames filling the station.
People appear to be trying to flee from the scene as panic spreads.
Eyewitnesses reported seeing people ‘running while on fire,’ ‘corpses lying on the ground’ and one shouting ‘there are no brakes’ from the train before jumping out.
Egypt’s transport minister resigned following the deadly train crash, a cabinet statement said.The prime minister accepted Hisham Arafat’s resignation, the statement added.
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A source claimed the fire had caused parts of the building to collapse.
Railway authorities have ordered the full evacuation of the station this morning.
Reports suggest the train crashed into a steel barrier on the pavement before flames ignited.
Security sources said there was no indication that the crash was deliberate.
The crash caused a fuel tank to explode, Sky News Arabia reports.
A witness said there was a blast when a train rammed into a barrier at Ramses station and said he had seen charred bodies on the ground.
“I was standing on the platform and I saw the train speed into the barrier,” eyewitness Mina Ghaly told Reuters.
“Everyone started running but a lot of people died after the locomotive exploded.”
“I saw at least nine corpses lying on the ground, charred.”
Eyewitness 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.”
Ahmed Abdeltawab said the platform had been crowded with people waiting for another train.
“The fire overwhelmed them and they ran while they were on fire until they fell metres from incident,” he said.
“The scene was terrifying.”
Several witnesses said they had seen fire coming out of the train’s engine before it crashed, causing an explosion and fires inside the station.
Authorities are working to control the blaze.
Dramatic images from the scene have been shared on social media as people express their shock and sadness.
“May God have mercy on the victims of Egypt station,” one wrote.
Dr Hala Zayed, the Minister of Health, has gone to the Al-Hilal hospital to check on the condition of those who have been injured, Mobtada reports.
Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly announced from the station that the incident would be investigated and anyone found responsible held to account.
Egypt has one of the oldest and largest rail networks in the region and accidents causing casualties have been common.
Egyptians have long complained that successive governments have failed to enforce basic safety standards for the railways.
Student Ali Ramadan said he had suffered burns and injured his foot when he ran into a concrete bench on the crowded platform.
“I don’t know when these train accidents will end. They told us they got millions of dollars’ worth of new locomotives and trains, and people are still dying because of train accidents.”
The transport ministry suspended all train arrivals and departures at the station.
Dozens killed in Cairo station after train slams into barrier causing an explosion that triggered a fire
Raw video: Crews work to extinguish a fire after a railcar collided with a barrier causing an explosion of the fuel tank, triggering a major fire in the main train station in Cairo that killed dozens of people.
An Egyptian medical official said Wednesday that 25 people were killed and at least 50 were injured when a major fire erupted at the main train station in Cairo.
Mohammed Said, the head of the Cairo Railroad hospital, said the death toll is expected to rise.
The fire is said to have been triggered by a fuel tank explosion on a speeding train headed into the Ramsis station in downtown Cairo. Several witnesses said they saw fire coming out of the train’s engine before it crashed.
“I was standing on the platform and I saw the train speed into the barrier,” eyewitness Mina Ghaly told Reuters. “Everyone started running but a lot of people died after the locomotive exploded. I saw at least nine corpses lying on the ground, charred.”
People gather around a suitcase after a train crash inside Ramsis train station in Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)
Ibrahim Hussein, an eyewitness also told Reuters: “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.”
Ahmed Abdeltawab said the platform had been crowded with people waiting for another train when “fire overwhelmed them and they ran while they were on fire until they fell meters from the incident.”
Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli visited the chaotic scene and said the cause of the collision had not been determined.
“We will identify who is responsible for the accident and they will be held accountable,” he told the BBC.
People gather outside Ramsis train station in Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty)
The country’s general prosecutor, Nabil Sadek, has ordered an investigation into the deadly crash. Egypt has one of the oldest rail networks in the region, with accidents causing casualties being fairly common. All train departures and arrivals to the station have been suspended.
Ali Ramadan told Reuters he suffered burns and injured his foot when he ran into a concrete bench on the platform.
“I don’t know when these train accidents will end … They told us they got millions of dollars’ worth of new locomotives and trains, and people are still dying because of train accidents.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report. //mirro//fox
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