At least 25 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.
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.”
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 the incident,” he said. “The scene was terrifying.”
Several witnesses said they had seen fire coming out of the train’s engine before it crashed, causing an explosion and fires inside the station.
The transport ministry suspended all train arrivals and departures at the station and Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly says the incident is already under investigation and anyone found responsible held to account.
