Cairo passenger train derails, catches fire, 'many' dead

CAIRO // An Egyptian security official says a train derailed and five of its cars overturned leaving a number of people dead and injured.

The official says the incident took place in Giza, Cairo's twin city. He didn't elaborate and could not immediately give numbers on casualties. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the press.

The railway system's poor safety record has long been blamed on badly maintained equipment and poor management. Egypt's worst railway disaster took place in February 2002 when a train heading to southern Egypt caught fire, killing 363 people.

In August 2006, a passenger train barrelling toward a station collided with a second train, killing 58 people.