“I ordered my coffee and was about to pay for it and get back to my train,” Taher recalled. “But God worked His ways and the guy at the cafeteria took too long to get my coffee. In just one second, what happened happened. I could have been out on the platform.<doc-sep>At least 20 people were killed and 43 injured in a deadly explosion and fire at Cairo's main train station on Wednesday, officials said. Many of the injured remain in a critical condition. Witnesses reported seeing a single rail car hitting the steel buffer at the end of the track at high speed, causing its diesel tank to explode and starting a large fire. Online videos of the incident showed people trying to flee the flames as the engine hit the barrier. "Everyone started running but a lot of people died after the locomotive exploded," one man told the Reuters news agency. Another witness said that a man screamed: "there are no brakes, there are no brakes" before jumping out of the carriage. Security sources said there was no indication the incident, which happened at the busy Ramses railway hub, was deliberate. However, state television later reported the train driver had been arrested. The death toll is expected to climb, according to medical officials Ashraf Momtaz, a general railway inspector, told the AP news agency that it was possible that someone could have set the rail car on high speed and jumped out. "The railcar takes time to (gather) speed so there is a chance that someone set it on full speed before leaving," he said, adding that investigators are considering all scenarios. Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli pledged "harsh punishment" for the culprits, and the country's Transport Minister Hisham Arafat resigned after the incident. Egypt has seen several railway tragedies in recent years. Collisions are not uncommon - according to the country's statistics agency, there were 1,793 accidents in 2017. nn, dj/jil (AFP, Reuters, dpa, AP) Each evening at 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here.<doc-sep>Maggie Michael, The Associated Press CAIRO -- A fight between two train conductors unleashed a speeding, unmanned locomotive that slammed into a barrier and exploded in the Egyptian capital's main train station Wednesday, killing at least 25 people, authorities said. Railway officials said the single railcar collided head-on with the buffer stop, causing a huge explosion and fire. At least 47 people were also injured, many of them critically, and officials said the death toll could rise. The deadly blaze blasted through people on the platform in the busy Ramses Station in downtown Cairo. A surveillance video showed the moment of impact when the car barrelled past men and women walking by and engulfed them in flames and smoke. Charred bodies lay on the platform, and a man in flames ran down a staircase in panic, according to other photos and videos posted on social media. Egypt's Prosecutor General Nabil Sadek said investigators determined the locomotive's conductor had left his car to fight with another conductor whose railcar was blocking his. But the conductor left without putting on the brakes and the other car began moving backward, freeing the locomotive, which then gathered speed and hit the concrete-and-metal barrier, exploding. “The driver left the railcar without taking any measures to brake it,” Sadek said in a statement. Sadek put the death toll at 20 while health officials said at least 25 people were killed and dozens more were injured in the crash and ensuing fire. Some of the bodies were burnt beyond recognition and DNA tests were carried out to determine identities. The driver of the railcar has been under interrogation and Sadek said the investigation was continuing. The deadly accident prompted Transportation Minister Hisham Arafat to resign his post, according to a statement released by the Cabinet office. The Ramses district is among the busiest and most crowded areas of Cairo. The state railway agency briefly halted all train traffic and ordered the evacuation of the station. The accident triggered an online debate among many Egyptians, with many blaming the government for not improving railway services in Egypt, even after a series of deadly accidents. Several noted previous statements by President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi arguing about spending billions of pounds on improving trains. Video from surveillance cameras showed flames ravaging the station's interior. One video that surfaced on social media showed men and women carrying bags and personal belongings and walking on the rail platforms as the train car crashes and explodes. Another showed men and women running and searching for exits after the explosion. A man is seen running back and forth, his shirt on fire, until another man rushes to pour water on him. Mohammed Said, head of the Cairo Railroad hospital, said at least 25 were killed but that the death toll could rise. Many of the wounded were in critical condition, mostly suffering severe burns, said Egyptian Health Minister Hala Zayed. Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli vowed harsh punishment for those behind the accident. Egypt's railway system has a history of badly maintained equipment and poor management. Official figures show that 1,793 train accidents took place in 2017 across the country. In July 2018, a passenger train derailed near the southern city of Aswan, injuring at least six people and prompting authorities to fire the chief of the country's railways. In March last year, President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi said the government lacks about 250 billion Egyptian pounds, or $14.1 billion, to overhaul the run-down rail system. El-Sissi spoke a day after a passenger train collided with a cargo train, killing at least 12 people, including a child. In August 2017, two passenger trains collided just outside the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria, killing 43 people. In 2016, at least 51 people were killed when two commuter trains collided near Cairo. The deadliest train crash took place in 2002 when over 300 people were killed when fire erupted in speeding train travelling from Cairo to southern Egypt.<doc-sep>Khaled Desouki, AFP | Security forces and onlookers gather at the scene of a fiery train crash at the Egyptian capital Cairo's main Ramses railway station on February 27, 2019 At least 20 people were killed and 50 injured when a locomotive smashed into a barrier at Cairo’s main train station on Wednesday, causing an explosion and a fire, state television and witnesses said. Advertising Read more The train engine appeared to have slammed into the buffers at the end of the track at high speed, sparking a major blaze that blackened the walls of the Ramses station. Inside the station, the train’s engine could be seen tilted to one side next to a platform. Several witnesses said they had seen fire coming out of the train’s engine before it crashed. Security sources said there was no indication that the crash was deliberate. Eyewitness Ibrahim Hussein said: “I saw a man pointing from the locomotive as it entered the platform, and screaming, ‘There are no brakes, there are no brakes’ before he jumped out of the locomotive. And I don’t know what happened to him.” “I was standing on the platform and I saw the train speed into the barrier ... Everyone started running but a lot of people died after the locomotive exploded," said another bystander, Mina Ghaly. "I saw at least nine corpses lying on the ground, charred.” #Tragedy in #Egypt, (Fire at main train station in Cairo) a witness said there was a blast when a train rammed into a steel barrier at ramses station central Cairo pic.twitter.com/97VZl6UWrm Alberto Allen (@albertoallen) February 27, 2019 Ahmed Abdeltawab said the platform had been crowded with people waiting for another train. “The fire overwhelmed them and they ran while they were on fire until they fell metres from incident,” he said. “The scene was terrifying.” President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi quickly called on his government to carry out an investigation. Visiting the scene, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly said that anyone found responsible would be held to account. Transport minister quits Just hours after the deadly train crash, the government announced that Egypt’s transport minister had handed in his resignation. "Transport Minister Hisham Arafat submitted his resignation ... and the prime minister accepted," the cabinet said in a statement. Egypt has one of the oldest and largest rail networks in the region and accidents causing casualties have been common. A train collision in Alexandria killed more than 40 people in 2017. Egyptians have long complained that successive governments have failed to enforce basic safety standards for the railways. Student Ali Ramadan said he had suffered burns and injured his foot when he ran into a concrete bench on the crowded platform. “I don’t know when these train accidents will end ... They told us they got millions of dollars’ worth of new locomotives and trains, and people are still dying because of train accidents.” The transport ministry suspended all arrivals and departures at the station after the incident. (FRANCE 24 with AFP, REUTERS) Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning Subscribe<doc-sep>
A speeding railcar crashed into a barrier at Cairo's main train station, causing its fuel tank to explode and triggering a huge fire that left at least 25 people dead on Wednesday, officials said. Railway officials said the train was speeding and collided head-on with the barrier. At least 47 people were also injured in the accident. Mohammed Said, the head of the Cairo Railroad hospital, said there are concerns the death toll could rise further following the blaze. Other officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak to the media. Photographs from the station showed charred bodies lying on the platforms at the Ramsis station in downtown Cairo. Firefighters struggled to get the flames under control. Heavy black smoke rose into the sky as ambulances rushed to the scene. The Ramsis district is among the busiest and most crowded areas of the Egyptian capital. The state railway agency briefly halted all train traffic and ordered the evacuation of the station. Videos from surveillance cameras inside the station showed flames ravaging the station. A video that surfaced on social media showed men and women carrying bags and personal belonging and walking on the rail platforms as the train car crashed and exploded. Another video showed men and women running, searching for exits after the explosion. A man runs back and forth, his shirt on fire, until another man rushes to pour water on him. Egypt's Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli said authorities must determine "who caused the accident and hold that person accountable." He promised "harsh punishment" for the culprits. In a statement released by the Cabinet office, Egypt's Transportation Minister Hisham Arafat has resigned. Egypt's railway system has a poor safety record, mostly blamed on decades of badly maintained equipment and poor management. Official figures show that 1,793 train accidents took place in 2017 across the country. In March last year, President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi said the government lacks about 250 billion Egyptian pounds, or $14.1 billion, to overhaul the run-down railway system. El-Sissi spoke a day after a passenger train collided with a cargo train, killing at least 12 people, including a child. And in August 2017, two passenger trains collided just outside the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria, killing 43 people. In 2016, at least 51 people were killed when two commuter trains collided near Cairo.