At least seven people were killed and more than 100 injured in a train collision and derailment in Giza south of Cairo, the capital of Egypt.
Egyptian railway authorities explained that two trains heading south, departing from Giza and Cairo respectively, collided and several carriages fell down the embankment.
Video from the scene shows people looking inside the overturned carriage and searching for the injured while a large-scale emergency rescue operation is in progress.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said he had ordered "to investigate the circumstances of the accident, identify those responsible, and hold them strictly accountable."
The prosecutor's office warned that the death toll could rise further.
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The Egyptian government said it had "stepped up its alert posture" amid a large influx of patients at nearby hospitals.
Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar explained that the injured, who suffered fractures and head injuries, were being treated in hospitals.
The Egyptian Red Crescent said it was providing relief supplies and psychological support to victims and their families at the scene.
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According to health authorities, the driver of one of the trains where the accident occurred also died in the accident.
The first train involved in the accident was traveling from Giza to Al Fayum, south of Cairo, when it struck the rear of another train that was stopped on the tracks while traveling south from Cairo to Aswan.
According to photos from the scene, some carriages were derailed and overturned, and at least one car appeared to be broken in two.
While a crane has been deployed and work continues to clean up the accident site, trains between Giza and Upper Egypt are currently suspended. Railway officials did not say how long the work would take.
The crash occurred between Al-Ayat's Kafr Ammar and Al-Raqqa stations, not far from the site of the worst train disaster in Egyptian history in February 2002.
A fire broke out on a passenger train heading from Cairo to Luxor, killing about 370 people according to official figures at the time, but according to some estimates, the actual death toll appears to have been much higher.
In 2009, two more collision accidents occurred in this area, killing dozens of people.
On the 8th (local time), voices are rising in Egypt calling for the resignation of the Minister of Transportation in connection with this railway disaster.
Meanwhile, leaders and dignitaries around the world expressed condolences and support for the victims.
Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry expressed "solidarity" with Egypt and prayed for a speedy recovery for the injured.
Ambassador to Egypt Turkiye said through
