Explosion and fire at Cairo’s main train station kills at least 25
Security staff guard the scene of the horrific incident at Ramses Station, Cairo on Wednesday. Photo: Getty
At least 25 people have been killed and 50 injured when a locomotive smashed into a barrier at Cairo’s main train station, causing an explosion and a fire, state television and witnesses said.
The fire sent black smoke billowing above Ramses station in the centre of the Egyptian capital.
Inside the station, the train’s blackened engine could be seen tilted to one side next to a platform.
Security sources said there was no indication that the crash was deliberate.
Video footage from Cairo's Ramses train station shows a platform engulfed in flames pic.twitter.com/AWyrSwoJrc
— Arab News (@arabnews) February 27, 2019
CCTV video footage from #Ramses station is beyond horrific. So many people on fire& extremely brave onlookers doing everything they can to put out flames engulfing the injured. Looks like the train was travelling at full speed as it slammed into the end of platform #Cairo #Egypt
— Bel Trew (@Beltrew) February 27, 2019
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.”
Bystander Mina Ghaly added: “I was standing on the platform and I saw the train speed into the barrier … Everyone started running, but a lot of people died after the locomotive exploded.
“I saw at least nine corpses lying on the ground, charred.”
Officials say at least 10 people have died in a fire at a train station in Cairo, Egypt. https://t.co/3gJD9Z7ZdH
— Twitter Moments (@TwitterMoments) February 27, 2019
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.
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.
The transport ministry suspended all train arrivals and departures at the station.
-AAP