At least three people, including two children, have been killed and some 29 wounded after two passenger trains collided in Egypt.

Five of the injured are in unstable condition, the health ministry said in the aftermath of the accident. It added the injured were taken to hospitals and that rescue operations continued.

The crash happened in the city of Zagazig, the capital of Sharqiya province, the country's railway authority said. 

The railway authority said that one of the trains was heading from Zagazig city to Ismailia city, while the other was on its way from Mansoura city to Zagazig city.

Zagazig is in the Nile Delta, some 80 kilometers (around 50 miles) north of the capital Cairo.

Egypt has been working for years to develop the transportation network, modernize trains and develop railway lines.

Train accidents regular occurrence

Train derailments and crashes are common in Egypt, as their aging railway system has been troubled by mismanagement. 

In August, a train crashed into a truck crossing the train tracks in the Mediterranean province of Alexandria, killing two people.

In recent years, the government announced initiatives to improve its railways.

In 2018, President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi said 250 billion Egyptian pounds (€4.7billion, $8.13 billion) would be needed to properly overhaul the North African country's neglected rail network.

German industrial group agreed deal to help construct new railways

In May 2022, German industrial group Siemens agreed on a deal to construct 2,000 kilometers (1,243 miles) of high-speed rail lines across Egypt.

The deal, which was worth €8.1 billion ($8.7 billion), was the biggest order in the Munich-based company's 175-year history.

The contract included, besides the rail lines, 41 high-speed trains, 94 regional trains, 41 freight trains, and eight depots and freight stations. Siemens were also to be responsible for maintenance for 15 years.

The mega-project had the aim to connect 60 cities by train, at speeds of up to 230 kilometers per hour, providing rail access to around 90% of the population, according to Siemens.

At the time of the contract signing ceremony two years ago, el-Sissi called the planned network "the beginning of a new era for the rail system in Egypt, Africa and the Middle East." 

rm/msh (Reuters, AP)