Egypt Train Collision Near Giza Kills Seven and Injures More Than 100
Seven people were killed and more than 100 injured when two trains collided south of Cairo in Egypt’s Giza governorate on Sunday 8 November, derailing several carriages and sending some down an embankment. Egypt’s health ministry put the number of injured at 112, while the Associated Press reported at least 125. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has ordered an investigation and said anyone found negligent will be held accountable.
What Happened in the Egypt Train Collision?
A train travelling from Giza to Fayoum crashed into the rear of a Cairo-to-Aswan service that was stationary on the tracks, the BBC reported, citing Egypt’s railway authority. Both trains were heading south. The impact derailed several carriages, some of which overturned, and images from the scene showed the body of at least one carriage apparently split in two.
The collision happened between Kafr Ammar and Al-Raqqa stations in Al-Ayyat district. The driver of one of the trains was among those killed, the health ministry confirmed.
- Date: Sunday 8 November 2026
- Location: between Kafr Ammar and Al-Raqqa stations, Al-Ayyat, Giza governorate
- Trains: Giza to Fayoum service hit a stationary Cairo to Aswan train
- Deaths: 7, including a train driver
- Injured: 112 according to the health ministry; AP reported at least 125
- Response: 72 ambulances; patients taken to hospitals in Giza and Beni Suef
How Many People Were Killed and Injured?
Egypt’s Ministry of Health and Population said the death toll had risen to seven, with 112 injured, Xinhua reported. By Sunday night, 45 patients had been discharged after treatment and seven more were expected to go home soon. The remaining patients were under medical observation. Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar said people were being treated for broken bones and head injuries.
Seventy-two ambulances took part in the rescue, with injured passengers sent to several hospitals in Giza and neighbouring Beni Suef. The government put hospitals in the area on heightened alert, and the Egyptian Red Crescent provided aid and psychological support to victims and their families at the scene. The public prosecutor’s office warned the death toll could rise.
What Caused the Crash?
The cause has not yet been established. Prosecutors inspected the crash site and asked for a technical committee to determine what went wrong, Egyptian media reported. Investigators are expected to examine signalling, dispatch procedures and the condition of the track, including why a moving train was on the same line as a stationary one.
Services between Giza and Upper Egypt were suspended while cranes removed the wrecked carriages, and the railway authority did not say how long that would take. There were calls on Sunday for Egypt’s transport minister to resign.
Has Al-Ayyat Seen Train Disasters Before?
The crash happened close to the site of Egypt’s deadliest rail disaster. In February 2002, a fire engulfed a Cairo-to-Luxor passenger train near Al-Ayyat, killing more than 370 people according to the official toll, with some estimates far higher. Two further crashes in the area in 2009 killed dozens more, the BBC noted.
Egypt’s railway, the oldest in Africa, has been going through a modernisation programme, but repeated deadly accidents continue to raise questions about maintenance and safety oversight.
How Have Other Countries Reacted?
Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry expressed “solidarity” with Egypt and wished the injured a speedy recovery, and Turkey’s ambassador to Egypt offered “heartfelt condolences and sincere sympathy” to the victims, their families and the Egyptian people. We will update this story when investigators publish their findings. For more news from the continent, see our Africa news section.
Featured image: Egyptian National Railways passenger carriages at Alexandria, by Abdelrhman 1990 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. File photo; not the trains involved in the crash.
Sources
- BBC News — Seven dead and more than 100 injured after trains collide in Egypt (8 November 2026).
- Xinhua — Daily World Briefing, Nov. 9 (9 November 2026).
- AP News — Collision between 2 trains in Egypt kills 7 and injures at least 125 (8 November 2026).
- Al-Tareeq (Arabic) — Prosecutors inspect the site of the Al-Ayyat train crash and request a technical committee.
