Egypt Train Crash Kills 20

At least 20 people are dead and another 20 are injured after a train slammed into a pickup truck and a minibus near Cairo, the MENA news agency said early Monday.

The train, which was coming from Aswan and passing through Bani Swaif, crashed at a crossing near the Giza district in Egypt, state media reported.

According to Reuters, the incident could spark protests among Egyptians who have claimed that those in charge have not enforced even the most rudimentary of safeguards, something they believe has led to a number of devastating crashes.

Egypt's railways and roads have a poor safety record. The transport network came under attack in 2012 when 50 people, mostly children, died after a train crashed into a school bus south of Cairo.

Hussein Zakariya, head of Egypt's railway authority, was quoted as saying on MENA that the train driver in this most recent incident was taken by surprise when the two vehicles drove into the crossing.

"We are still investigating the incident and once we are done we will issue a statement," an Interior Ministry source told Reuters.

Egypt's interim government, which was appointed after President Mohamed Mursi was ousted by the military on July 3, announced plans to improve the country's transportation as part of a 29.6 billion Egyptian pound ($4.30 billion) stimulus package, Reuters reported.

Egypt's most disastrous train accident occurred in 2002 when a fire engulfed seven cars of overcrowded passenger train, leading to the death of 360 people.