| Manfalut railway accident | |
| Pushpin Map: | Egypt |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of accident in Manfalut, Egypt |
| Coordinates: | 27.3167°N 88°W |
| Location: | Manfalut |
| Country: | Egypt |
| Operator: | Egyptian National Railways |
| Type: | Level crossing accident |
| Trains: | 1 |
| Deaths: | 51 |
| Injuries: | 17 |
The Manfalut railway accident occurred on 17 November 2012 when a school bus, which was carrying about 70 school children between four and six years old, was hit by a train on a rail crossing near Manfalut, Egypt, 350 km (230 miles) south of the Egyptian capital Cairo. At least 50 children and the bus driver died in the crash,[1] and about 17 people were injured.[2] Witnesses reported that barriers at the crossing were not closed when the crash occurred.[3]
After the crash, a number of people began searching the tracks to find the remains of their children and victims they knew. Additionally, schoolbags and schoolbooks were scattered across the tracks.[1] Police did not arrive until two hours after the accident, and by the time the first ambulance came, most of the children were dead.[2] Afterwards, the families of the victims protested at the crash site.
The Egyptian minister of transportation, Mohammad Rashad Al Matini, and the head of the railways authority resigned after the accident.[4] [3] President Mohamed Morsi pledged to hold those responsible accountable. The crossing worker, who was allegedly asleep, was detained,[5] and Ibrahim El-Zaafrani, the secretary-general of the relief committee of the Arab Doctors Union, said that (about $1,600)[6] will be awarded to families of the dead and (about $800) to families of the injured.[2]