Egypt's chief prosecutor on Monday ordered the arrest of eight railway employees, including two train drivers, for their alleged roles in a train crash that killed 18 people in the country's south.
Two passenger trains collided on Friday in the province of Sohag, about 440 kilometres south of Cairo. It was the latest in a series of railway accidents that have rocked the country in recent years.
The supervisor at the control tower near the site of the crash and the railway’s regional control chief for the neighbouring Assiut province were among those detained.
Prosecutor Hamada El Sawy revised downward the number killed to 18 and 200 injured.
On Saturday, Health Minister Hala Zayed told a news conference that at least 19 people were killed and 185 injured. That number was down from the 32 deaths initially announced on Friday.
The Health Ministry and the state-owned Railway Authority said the accident was caused by an emergency brake being triggered on the first train, causing it to come to an abrupt halt. A train approaching from behind collided with it.
A statement said the arrests followed an initial investigation in which prosecutors questioned 133 survivors, 10 regional railway officials and three members of the transport police force.
Train accidents are not uncommon in Egypt, where the rail network is stretched and the signal system is antiquated.
Transport Minister Kamel El Wazir said after the crash that 225 billion pounds ($14.32bn) had been set aside to upgrade the railway service, of which nearly 50 billion pounds would go towards overhauling the signalling system.
Friday’s crash was the deadliest rail accident since February 2019, when an engine car laden with fuel slammed into a wall at Cairo’s main train station, igniting a fire that killed at least 20 people and injured scores more.
In 2017, two passenger trains collided in northern Egypt, killing at least 41 people and injuring more than 120.
In 2002, more than 300 people were killed after a fire broke out in a train traveling from Cairo to southern Egypt.
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
