Upon being informed of the tragic train collision in Sohag yesterday, President Abdel Fattah El Sisi directed relevant state bodies to mobilize all their resources to deal with the consequences of the accident, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli said Saturday 27/03/2021.

Madbouli made the remarks during a news briefing in Sohag, after visiting those wounded in the deadly crash, in the presence of the ministers of health, higher education, local development and social solidarity, as well as the governor of Sohag.

He said that a crisis management room had immediately been set up by the Cabinet to coordinate with the ministries and state bodies concerned to move the accident victims and provide necessary medical care to the injured.

In addition, a special plane had also been deployed to the accident site in Tahta city, about 460 kilometers (285 miles) south of Cairo, to transport those who needed delicate surgeries.

Having checked on the injured, Madbouli said, a meeting was held with the ministers of health, higher education, local development and social solidarity, as well as the governor of Sohag, to conceptualize a plan to deal with the accident’s consequences and its implications on the victims' families.

As per presidential directives, it has been agreed to double the normal financial compensation for casualties in a public transport accident, providing EGP 100,000 for the victims' families, and EGP 20-40 thousand pounds for the families of the injured, according to injury severity.

The president also ordered an immediate probe to determine the root cause of the crash, the premier said.

He noted that a competent committee formed by the technical and oversight bodies concerned has already started its work at the scene of the accident.

Madbouli also pointed to the public prosecutor's visit to inspect the accident site, accompanied by a team from the public prosecution's technical office.

He urged all citizens not to prejudge the results of the ongoing investigations by specialized technical, supervisory and criminal committees.

During the press conference, Premier Madbouli also touched upon the outdated infrastructure of the railway service after decades of negligence."

"Upon embarking on upgrading the railway service, which is of crucial importance for millions of citizens, we found that some train carriages had already exceeded their lifespan," the premier said.

He noted that the State had allocated hundreds of billions of pounds to modernize this vital sector.

The State has taken serious steps in this regard; however, much more work is still lying ahead, Madbouli said.

He added that funding is no longer a pressing issue compared to the required time-frame needed to complete to the upgrading process.

Another challenge to modernization efforts is keeping the railway network running in tandem with the upgrading process, the prime minister said.

He also asserted the urgent need to speed up the modernization process in order to eliminate human error in railway operations and ensure maximum safety for all in such a vital sector.

Madbouli extended his heartfelt condolences to the victims' families, wishing the wounded speedy recovery.

The premier concluded by affirming the State's commitment to bringing those behind the tragic crash to justice upon the completion of ongoing investigations. 

MENA