Death Toll of Train-Minibus Crash in NE Egypt Rises to 10

CAIRO, March Xinhua: At least 10 people were killed and 12 others wounded after a minibus was hit by a train in northeastern Egypt’s Ismailia province on Thursday, according to a statement from the Health Ministry.

It happened when the minibus attempted to cross quickly from an undesignated crossing, said the Egyptian National Railways (ENR) in a separate statement.

Some 13 ambulances rushed to the scene, and the victims were transferred to the El Qantara Sharq Central Hospital for treatment.

The ENR urged drivers and pedestrians to use designated railway crossings to prevent further tragedies.

Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has instructed the Ministry of Social Solidarity to allocate 100,000 Egyptian pounds (some 1,974 U.S. dollars) as compensation for the family of each victim.

The country’s deadliest rail disaster occurred in 2002 in the Ayyat district of Giza province, as a fire broke out in a train traveling from Cairo to Luxor, killing more than 380 people.