Türkiye offered condolences to Egypt on Monday after a train collision in Giza province killed at least seven people.
In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said it was “deeply saddened by the loss of lives resulting from the train accident that occurred yesterday (8 November) in Giza, Egypt.”
“We wish Allah’s mercy upon those who lost their lives, extend our condolences to their families and to the people of Egypt, and wish a speedy recovery to the injured,” the ministry added.
The crash occurred Sunday when two trains collided south of Cairo, sending several carriages off the tracks and killing seven people, according to authorities.
Egypt’s railway authority said a train traveling from Giza to Fayoum struck the rear of another train bound south from Cairo to Aswan.
The Health Ministry reported that 125 people were injured, while 71 had been released from hospitals after receiving treatment.
The injuries included bruises and abrasions, fractures to the limbs, pelvis and vertebrae, head and facial cuts, and chest injuries.
President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi said he was monitoring the crash “with great concern” and ordered an urgent investigation to “hold accountable anyone found to have been negligent.”
Witnesses said rescue efforts quickly turned chaotic as villagers, emergency responders and railway workers worked to free passengers trapped in overturned carriages.
Abdel Wahed Mohamed, 31, was sitting at a nearby cafe when the collision took place. He said the Aswan-bound train had stopped when the train heading to Fayoum crashed into it.
“The train overturned at around 1:30 pm. Six carriages overturned,” Mohamed said, adding that passengers sustained injuries including head wounds and broken limbs.
Authorities are investigating the crash in the al-Ayyat area of Giza, a location that has also been the scene of Egypt’s deadliest rail disaster.
More than 370 people died in 2002 when a fire tore through a train carrying holiday travelers south of Cairo.
Rail remains a crucial form of transportation in Egypt, whose network is among the largest in Africa. However, the system has experienced repeated deadly accidents.
Over the past decade, Egypt has invested billions of dollars in transport infrastructure, including new highways and high-speed rail lines. Much of the country’s aging railway network, however, has yet to undergo a comprehensive overhaul.
