A passenger train collided with a minibus crossing the tracks in an unauthorized area of northern Egypt on Thursday, killing at least eight people and injuring 12, authorities confirmed.
The crash occurred in the Suez Canal province of Ismailia, prompting emergency services to dispatch over a dozen ambulances to the scene.
Officials stated that the train was operating on its designated route when it struck the minibus, which had veered onto the tracks at an unapproved crossing.
Local media reported that the victims, including children, were transported to East Qantara Central Hospital. One child remained in critical condition.
Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly announced compensation of 100,000 Egyptian pounds ($1,970) for the families of those killed in the crash.
Images from the scene depicted a crushed red minibus alongside scattered school notebooks and backpacks.
Egypt has long struggled with railway safety, with frequent accidents attributed to an aging infrastructure and mismanagement.
Last October, a locomotive rear-ended a Cairo-bound passenger train in southern Egypt, killing one person.
The previous month, a collision between two trains in the Nile Delta claimed at least three lives.
In an effort to modernize the railway system, President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi pledged in 2018 to invest 250 billion Egyptian pounds ($8.13 billion) into upgrades.
Despite these initiatives, deadly crashes persist, highlighting ongoing safety concerns within the nation’s rail network.
