Toukh train accident explained
On 18 April 2021, a train derailed in the city of Toukh in Qalyubiyya Governorate, Egypt.[1] The accident left 23 people dead and another 139 injured,[2] trapping several under overturned carriages.[3] It was the third major train accident in Egypt recorded in less than a month. Considering the commonality of train wrecks and mishaps in Egypt, prosecutors blamed the negligence of railway employees and the country’s mismanagement.[4]
Investigation
Preliminary investigations attributed the incident to the increased speed of the Toukh train, which was travelling at 120 km/h on a stretch not designed for speeds exceeding 30 km/h.[5] The train's driver, the driver's assistant, and all of the workers of the signs and towers in the area where the crash took place, were taken into custody as part of the investigation.[6]
Response
President Abdel Fattah Sisi commissioned Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly to form a committee, to be made up of members of the Administrative Control Authority, the Armed Forces Engineering Authority, and the Military Technical College, to determine the cause of the accident.[7] The transport minister, Kamel Al -Wazir, visited the site of the crash, and declared that those responsible would be held to account.[8] The Ministry of Health redirected 58 ambulances to the scene to transport the injured.[9] Ashraf Raslan, head of the Egyptian railway authority, was fired in the aftermath of the incident.[10] [11]
See also
Notes and References
- Web site: At least 11 killed, 98 injured in Egypt as train derails. CNN. 18 April 2021. 19 April 2021. 19 April 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210419005336/https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/18/africa/egypt-train-derailment-intl/index.html. live.
- Web site: Egypt: 11 dead, 98 injured after train derails near Cairo. Reuters. 20 April 2021. 22 April 2021. 15 June 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210615150253/https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/egypts-sunday-train-accident-killed-23-says-public-prosecutor-2021-04-20/. live.
- Web site: 18 April 2021. Eleven dead, 98 injured after train derails in Egypt. Reuters. 18 April 2021. 18 April 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210418134344/https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/several-people-hurt-after-train-derails-egypt-2021-04-18/. live.
- Web site: Egypt: At Least 11 Killed, About 100 Injured in Train Crash North of Cairo. 10 April 2021. Voice of America. 18 April 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210418195326/https://www.voanews.com/middle-east/egypt-least-11-killed-about-100-injured-train-crash-north-cairo. live.
- Web site: القاهرة. اليوم-. 2021-04-18. قطار طوخ.. التحقيقات الأولية تكشف سبب الحادث وسر"صوت الانفجار ". 2021-05-20. alyaum. Arabic. 2021-04-18. https://web.archive.org/web/20210418182620/https://www.alyaum.com/articles/6318709/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%A8%D8%B9/%D8%B7%D9%88%D9%83%D9%8A%D9%88-%D8%AA%D8%B3%D8%AC%D9%84-543-%D8%A5%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D8%AC%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D8%A8%D9%81%D9%8A%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B3-%D9%83%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%86%D8%A7. live.
- Web site: السلطات المصرية تحقق مع طاقم قطار طوخ وعمال الإشارات. 2021-05-20. سكاي نيوز عربية. ar.
- Web site: السيسي يكلف الحكومة بالتحقيق في أسباب حادث قطار طوخ. 2021-05-20. سكاي نيوز عربية. ar. 2021-04-18. https://web.archive.org/web/20210418181610/https://www.skynewsarabia.com/middle-east/1430777-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%B3%D9%8A-%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%94%D9%85%D8%B1-%D8%A8%D8%AA%D8%B4%D9%83%D9%8A%D9%84-%D9%84%D8%AC%D9%86%D8%A9-%D9%84%D9%84%D8%AA%D8%AD%D9%82%D9%8A%D9%82-%D8%AD%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%AB-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D8%B7%D8%A7%D8%B1. live.
- Web site: وزير النقل المصري يتعهد بمحاسبة المتسببين في حادث قطار طوخ. 2021-05-20. سكاي نيوز عربية. ar. 2021-04-18. https://web.archive.org/web/20210418180832/https://www.skynewsarabia.com/middle-east/1430775-%D8%AA%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%82-%D9%88%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%86%D9%82%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B5%D8%B1%D9%8A-%D8%AD%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%AB-%D9%82%D8%B7%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%B7%D9%88%D8%AE. live.
- Web site: 2021-04-18. الصحة: إصابة 97 مواطنًا في حادث قطار طوخ - بوابة الأهرام. https://web.archive.org/web/20210418134158/https://gate.ahram.org.eg/News/2695377.aspx. dead. 2021-04-18. 2021-05-20.
- Web site: Egypt Fires Top Railway Official after Deadly Train Crashes Voice of America - English. 2021-05-21. www.voanews.com. en. 2021-05-21. https://web.archive.org/web/20210521190639/https://www.voanews.com/africa/egypt-fires-top-railway-official-after-deadly-train-crashes. live.
- Web site: 2021-04-21. Egypt's Railways Chief Fired In Wake of Fatal Train Accident. 2021-05-21. The Media Line. en-US. 2021-05-21. https://web.archive.org/web/20210521113013/https://themedialine.org/headlines/egypts-railways-chief-fired-in-wake-of-fatal-train-accident/. live.