Crash between two Egyptian trains kills 3, injures dozens

[John Ashworth]

Crash between two Egyptian trains kills 3, injures dozens

CAIRO | Sat Nov 10, 2012 9:10pm GMT

(Reuters) - At least three Egyptians were killed and over 30 people injured in a train crash in Fayoum on Saturday, when a train travelling south from Cairo hit another heading in the opposite direction, Fayoum's city governor, security and medical sources said.

Ahmed Ali Ahmed, governor of the city of Fayoum, situated 91 kilometres (57 miles) south of Cairo, told the Al Jazeera Mubashar Misr news channel three people were killed in the crash.

"A criminal investigation has been launched to find out the reasons that led to the accident," Ahmed said.

However, a security and a medical source in Fayoum said the toll was higher.

"The rescue operation is still ongoing and it is still too early to have a final number for the deaths and casualties," the security source said.

Egyptians have long complained that successive governments have failed to enforce basic safety standards on the country's railways, leading to a string of deadly accidents.

In July, 15 people were injured in Giza, west of Cairo, when a train travelling from southern Egypt towards Cairo was derailed in the neighbourhood of Badrashin.

(Reporting by Ali Abdelatti and Yasmine Saleh; Editing by Sophie Hares)