Four killed, 88 injured as two trains collide in Egypt

At least four people were killed and almost 90 others were injured when two trains collided on Sunday south of Cairo, authorities have said.

The crash occurred in al-Ayyat district in Giza province, about 30 miles (50km) south of the capital, when a train travelling to the south-western Fayoum province crashed into the rear of a train heading to the southern province of Aswan, according to the transport ministry. It said one of the trains had derailed.

The health ministry said at least four people had been killed and 88 injured. The injured were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment, it said.

The president, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, said in a social media post that he had ordered a prompt investigation into the crash to hold those responsible accountable.

Emergency teams and cranes were dispatched to the scene to clear the wreckage and restore services to their normal schedule as soon as possible, the Egyptian railway authority said.

A train driver and his assistant were injured in September last year when two freight trains collided in the same district.