Train service to Egypt’s Qena suspended due to fire

Train services to and from Qena in Upper Egypt have been suspended after a train carriage caught fire on Sunday.

The front carriage of a train caught fire, causing the driver to stop in Qena’s Feheyra district, Al-Ahram Arabic news website reported.

Fire fighting trucks and police personnel were sent to tackle the fire.

No casualties were reported as a result of the incident.

In 2002, Egypt witnessed its worst ever railway disaster when a train caught fire in El-Ayyat, killing at least 380 people. There have been several minor incidents involving fires on trains since.

Egypt’s railway system is operated manually, with employees responsible for managing the opening of crossings by communicating with drivers, a practice that is considered potentially unsafe and unreliable.

Source: Ahram online