Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly has accepted the resignation of Transport Minister Hisham Arafat, according to a Cabinet statement, following a train crash at Cairo’s Ramses Station on Wednesday which left 20 dead and 40 injured.
The locomotive collided with the pavement at the end of the line at high speed, causing its fuel tank to explode and triggering a massive fire, officials said.
Minister of Justice Hossam Abdel Rehem alerted the Forensic Medicine Authority to promptly receive the train crash’s victims and perform an autopsy on the deceased after having the prosecution’s approval, urging that the examinations be performed quickly.
Top prosecutor Nabil Sadeq opened an urgent investigation into the incident, ordering the formation of a committee to find out the cause of the accident.
A team of prosecutors moved to the scene, accompanied by a number of forensic doctors who listened to eyewitnesses.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
