Egypt News

Egypt's Transport Minister Mohamed Mansour

Two passenger trains collided when a first class train, filled with passengers, rammed into a mostly empty stationary train on the same track. At least two carriages were destroyed.

Egypt's Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif confirmed Mansour's resignation saying that "I have just been informed that the president has accepted the resignation."

Nazif said the resignation came in response to the railway crash.

Despite Egypt's transport Minister stressed that he will not step down from his position.

Mansour told "Al-Beit Beitak" daily talk show on Sunday that he does not intend to resign.

"I am responsible for the transportation system in Egypt and I will not step down from my position and relinquish my responsibility," he said.

The accident was because of "human error" and is not the responsibility of the entire transport system, added Mansour.

A series of road and rail accidents in Egypt in recent years has triggered an outcry over the government's handling of transport safety.

Saturday's accident took place in al-Ayyat district, which in 2002 was the scene of Egypt's worst rail disaster when fire ripped through seven carriages of an overcrowded passenger train, killing at least 360 people.

A train crash in northern Egypt killed 44 people in 2008, two years after another killed 58 people.

EGYPT NEWS

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