Qalyoub rail crash
Encyclopedia
The Qalyoub train collision occurred at a converging junction in Qalyoub
to the north of Cairo
in Egypt
on 21 August 2006, when two commuter train
s collided during the morning rush hour, killing 58 people and injuring over 140.
and crashed into a stationary train that had come from Benha. Four passenger cars derailed in the accident, which closed the line in the country's Nile Delta
region. The train was estimated to have been travelling at more than 50 mph (80.5 km/h) at the time of the collision. The driver of the Mansoura service was amongst the dead.
director Hanafi Abdel Qawi was dismissed and 14 railway officials were later charged with gross negligence and jailed. The prosecutor's office said the officials ignored repairing some technical equipment that control train signals.
Egypt has a poor safety record on its railways and there are several fatal accidents each year, usually blamed on inadequately maintained equipment.
Families of each victim who died in the accident received compensation
of £E5,000 (about $US870). Passengers who were injured will get £E1,000.
Qalyub
Qalyub is a town in the Al Qalyubiyah governorate of Egypt. It is situated in the northern part of the Cairo metropolitan area, at the start of the Nile Delta. In 1986, it had a population of 84,413 inhabitants, which grew to 106,804 residents by 2006...
to the north of Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
on 21 August 2006, when two commuter train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
s collided during the morning rush hour, killing 58 people and injuring over 140.
Overview
A passenger train from Mansoura passed a red signalSignal passed at danger
A Signal passed at danger , in British railway terminology, occurs when a train passes a stop signal without authority to do so. It is a term primarily used within the British Railway Industry, although it can be applied worldwide.-Categories of SPAD:...
and crashed into a stationary train that had come from Benha. Four passenger cars derailed in the accident, which closed the line in the country's Nile Delta
Nile Delta
The Nile Delta is the delta formed in Northern Egypt where the Nile River spreads out and drains into the Mediterranean Sea. It is one of the world's largest river deltas—from Alexandria in the west to Port Said in the east, it covers some 240 km of Mediterranean coastline—and is a rich...
region. The train was estimated to have been travelling at more than 50 mph (80.5 km/h) at the time of the collision. The driver of the Mansoura service was amongst the dead.
Aftermath
In the wake of the accident, Egyptian National RailwaysEgyptian National Railways
Egyptian National Railways is the national railway of Egypt and managed by the parastatal Egyptian Railway Authority .-1833–77:...
director Hanafi Abdel Qawi was dismissed and 14 railway officials were later charged with gross negligence and jailed. The prosecutor's office said the officials ignored repairing some technical equipment that control train signals.
Egypt has a poor safety record on its railways and there are several fatal accidents each year, usually blamed on inadequately maintained equipment.
Families of each victim who died in the accident received compensation
Damages
In law, damages is an award, typically of money, to be paid to a person as compensation for loss or injury; grammatically, it is a singular noun, not plural.- Compensatory damages :...
of £E5,000 (about $US870). Passengers who were injured will get £E1,000.