Cairo train derailment 'leaves 17 dead'

A military train carrying recruits has derailed south of Egypt's capital Cairo, killing at least 17 people and injuring another 103, officials said. The train was travelling to an army camp in Cairo when it came off the tracks in the Badrashin area of Giza. It is not yet known what caused the accident. Egypt's roads and railways have a poor safety record. Last November 50 children died after a train slammed into their school bus. Both the transport minister and the head of the railway authority were forced to resign in the wake of the crash, which took place in November near Manfalut, 350km (230 miles) south of Cairo. Investigations later revealed the barriers at the crossing were not closed because the signal operator had fallen asleep. Monday's incident occurred as the army train was heading from Upper Egypt into Cairo. The passengers wounded in the accident have been taken to hospitals, the governor of Giza said. An eyewitness told BBC Arabic that he saw two dozen dead bodies at the scene of the accident. The latest incident could increase the pressure on the government to tackle the safety of trains, the BBC's Said Shehata reports from Cairo. Four years ago, some 18 people were killed and dozens injured in a collision between two passenger trains in the Giza area. BBC NEWS