Dozens killed and injured after two trains collide in Egypt

According to Mohammed Abu Homs, director of the West Delta Relief Agency, at least 36 passengers have been confirmed killed, with more than 90 others injured.

The incident occurred at 1:15pm [12:15 BST] after train number 13, heading from Cairo to Alexandria crashed into train number 517, heading from Port Said to Cairo, at a crossing.

According to the Egyptian news website, Masrawy, the crash happened due to a signal failure.

Train 517 was reportedly meant to be waiting on the sidelines at Khorshed station but a communication breakdown led to the trains occupying the same line.

The Egyptian train service has been criticised in the past for its poor safety record, due in part to a lack of investment by the government. There have been a high number of similar incidents going back decades, usually caused by poor management and antiquated systems.

In 2012, 50 children were killed after a train hit a school bus on a level crossing. An investigation found that the crossing worker was asleep at the time and the barriers weren’t operated correctly.

	The site of the train crash [Twitter]