At least seven die, 125 injured in Egypt train crash

At least seven people were killed and 125 were injured when two passenger trains collided near the Egyptian city of Giza on Sunday.

Several carriages derailed and fell down an embankment after a Gizato-Fayoum train collided with the rear of a stationary Cairo-to-Aswan service between Kafr Ammar and Al-Raqqa stations in the Al-Ayyat district, south of Cairo.

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi responded swiftly, directing government agencies to open a full inquiry into the crash and to prosecute any individuals found responsible for negligence.

"I am following the aftermath of the train collision with great concern and extend my deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives, along with my sincere wishes for a speedy recovery for the injured," he said.

As many as 72 ambulances were reported to have been deployed to evacuate the injured to three different hospitals. Regional hospitals were placed on emergency standby to cope with the wave of incoming casualties.

Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar said medical teams were treating patients for fractures and head trauma.

The health ministry said 45 of the injured have since been discharged from nearby hospitals after their condition improved.

The Egyptian Red Crescent dispatched volunteers to the crash site, offering relief supplies and psychological counseling to survivors and their relatives.

Footage from the scene showed several carriages overturned along the embankment, with at least one appearing to have torn apart on impact.

Ministry officials confirmed one of the train operators was among the dead. It was not immediately clear why the second train had failed to stop before striking the stationary service.

Rail services connecting Giza to the Upper Egypt region were halted as cranes and emergency crews worked to clear the wreckage.

The crash took place near the site of Egypt's worst rail disaster in February 2002, when fire swept through a Cairo-to-Luxor service.

Official figures put that death toll at over 370, though some estimates suggest the actual number was far higher. Additional accidents in the same area in 2009 claimed dozens more lives.

Calls mounted on Sunday for the transport minister to step down following the latest fatal crash.

International leaders have offered condolences and support to those affected, reported the BBC. The Saudi foreign ministry expressed solidarity with Egypt and wished the injured a swift recovery.