‘Sabotage’ Behind Rail Accident, Egypt Transport Minister Says

CAIRO - Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el Sissi says that he is setting up a commission to investigate the causes of Sunday's train crash north of Cairo which killed 11 people and wounded nearly 100. The country's transport minister, seen on video inspecting the rails at the site of the accident, says that someone "sabotaged" the track by removing a metal rail and replacing it with a piece of wood.

Egyptian Transport Minister Kamel el Wezir was seen on amateur video inspecting the track where the latest train accident on the country's railroad network took place Sunday. He appears to uncover a piece of wood that he says someone used to replace a metal rail to sabotage a passing train. Wezir told Arab media that he has officially stepped down and has no problems with being replaced by someone else who is more competent, but that the basic problem with the rail network is still going to exist. It is the custom in Egypt that ministers resign after serious accidents for which they are deemed responsible. However, many Egyptians who support the government argued on social media that Wezir should remain in place.