Egypt train derails: At least 3 killed, 94 injured; 30 ambulances deployed to transfer injured

At least three people were killed and 94 others injured on Saturday (local time) when a passenger train derailed in western Egypt, officials said, marking the latest in a string of rail accidents in the country.

The train, which was travelling to Cairo from the Mediterranean province of Matrouh, went off the tracks on the north coast, according to a statement from the railway authorities. Seven of its wagons derailed, with two overturning.

In a separate statement, the health ministry confirmed the casualties and said 30 ambulances were deployed to transfer the injured to nearby hospitals.

The railway authorities said an investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the accident.

Egypt has long struggled with deadly train incidents, largely blamed on outdated infrastructure and poor management. In October last year, a locomotive rammed into the back of a Cairo-bound passenger train in the south of the country, killing at least one person and leaving several others injured.

The government has since announced plans to modernise the system. Back in 2018, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi that said around 250 billion Egyptian pounds, or $8.13 billion, would be required to overhaul the neglected network.