Hundreds die in a train fire in Egypt

Date: 20 Feb 2002
Updated: 30 Sep 2019

A fire reported to have been started by a gas cylinder spread through seven of a train’s eleven cars in Egypt. The gas cylinder which was used for cooking is said to have exploded. The train had departed from Cairo, heading to Luxor in Egypt, carrying twice its capacity of passengers. 373 passengers died and 60 were severely injured. Charred bodies were found under seats and others along the sides of the train as some of the passengers tried to escape the fire by jumping off the train. It is the worst train accident in Egyptian railroad history.

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01The Free-Lance Star (21 February 2002), "Worst train accident in Egypt’s history kills 373",From: Google News,[online] Available at: news.google.com,[Accessed on 11 February 2014]
02The Free Library, "Train fire kills 373 people in Egypt; DISASTER: One of the worst railway accidents in history was probably started by a passenger's gas-fired stove.",From: The Free Library,[Online] Available at: www.thefreelibrary.com [Accessed on 11 February 2014]

Last updated · 30 Sep 2019

Cite this entry

South African History Online. (2014, February 14). Hundreds die in a train fire in Egypt. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0097054

South African History Online (2014) 'Hundreds die in a train fire in Egypt', South African History Online, 14 February. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0097054 (Accessed: 29 July 2026).

South African History Online, Hundreds die in a train fire in Egypt [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0097054, (accessed 29 July 2026).

"Hundreds die in a train fire in Egypt." South African History Online, 14 Feb. 2014, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0097054. Accessed 29 July 2026.

South African History Online. "Hundreds die in a train fire in Egypt." South African History Online. February 14, 2014. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0097054.