At least four dead and 88 injured after two trains collide in Egypt

At least four people were killed and 88 injured after two trains crashed into each other in Egypt on Sunday.

Several carriages derailed in Giza province after one train rammed into the back of another, according to the Transportation Ministry.

One of the train drivers was among those killed in the collision, the health ministry said, adding that as many as 72 ambulances had been deployed to evacuate the injured to three different hospitals.

It was not immediately clear what had caused the crash. President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi said authorities had been told to investigate the circumstances of the tragedy and to “hold accountable anyone who proves their negligence”.

People stand at the site of a train collision in al-Ayyat in Giza governate southern Cairo on November 8 (AFP/Getty)

“I am following the aftermath of the train collision with great concern and extend my deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives, along with my sincere wishes for a speedy recovery for the injured,” he said.

The crash occurred in al-Ayyat district, about 52 kilometers (32 miles) south of Cairo, between a train heading for the southwestern Fayoum province and another heading to the southern province of Aswan.

It was not immediately clear which had derailed.

Two trains collided south of the Egyptian capital on November 8, derailing several carriages (AFP/Getty)

Emergency teams and cranes were on hand to clear the wreckage and restore the service as soon as possible, the Egyptian Railway Authority said.

The ministry of health said in a statement it would continue to monitor the casualties and provide them with full medical care.

All health facilities in Giza and Beni Suef governorates were ordered to raise their level of alertness and to provide all necessary medical and emergency support to the injured, the ministry said.