The Prosecutor-General, Nabil Sadek, has ordered the detention of another five suspects over their involvement in Cairo station’s deadly accident last week which left dozens killed and injured.
The new suspects include the train operations manager, a manoeuvring observer, two operations observers and a yard guard at the Cairo main station.
Earlier on Monday, the prosecution revealed that the locomotive driver responsible for the accident and the manoeuvre operator of the same railcar both tested positive for the potent narcotic ‘strox’.
During the ongoing investigation, the locomotive driver denied being under the effect of drugs during his work hours. However, earlier investigations previously revealed that he was suspended from work for six months before the accident due to his addiction to drugs.
On Tuesday, the Head of the Egyptian National Railways (ENR), Ashraf Raslan, and dozens of top officials of the authority provided their statements as a part of the investigation over the accident.
The prosecution office’s statement of the reasons behind the accident released on Monday stated that the locomotive was set at its maximum speed of 120 kilometres per hour during the accident. It added that the collision resulted in the explosion of the train’s fuel tank which might contain more than 6,000 litres of solar fuel.
Yet, the prosecution denied any criminal or terrorist suspicions, adding that there were no remains of explosive devices or materials at the scene of the accident. The forensic report issued on Sunday stated that the victims died of severe burns, brain haemorrhage, and laceration wounds.
The 27 February accident killed 25 people and wounded more than 40. The tragedy occurred after the driver stepped off the locomotive, without putting the brakes on, to argue with another railcar driver who hit the former train, according to earlier investigations.
The suspected driver left his railcar without switching the engine off, after which the unattended locomotive with a fuel tank sped off and hit the buffer stop which led to a huge fire and explosion.
The number of suspects involved in the accident has increased to 11, as the prosecution renewed last week the detention of the two drivers involved in the accident, along with four others for 15 days pending investigations.
The train driver, who left his locomotive without turning off its engine, faces charges including intentional murder and neglect.
