This Day in History: February 20, 2002
Additional Date: February 20, 2002
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.