Killed 47 children and three adults to the school bus collide with a train in southern Egypt

At least 47 children and three adults who accompanied them died Saturday after the collision of a train with a school bus about 300 kilometers south of Cairo , reported state news agency Mena. In a speech on state television, President Mohamed Mursi has accepted the resignation of the Minister of Transport. The tragedy, which adds to a long blacklist of rail accidents in Egypt, took place around eight in the morning (6.00 GMT) in the town of Manfalut,south of the province of Assiut , when the bus carrying about 60 students went through a level crossing. After hitting the car, the train dragged him along a mile. The 47 children who died were between four and six years old . Also killed were the bus driver and two caregivers. Authorities said 18 others were injured.Seven of them remain in critical condition.

Investigation of the incident

Security forces arrested an employee of the state railway companyand accused of not having lowered the barrier , which would have precipitated the fatal outcome. Some relatives of the victims reported that the manager also step was asleep. However, the company denied this version of events and said the bus driver ran a step marked with lights and bell and guarded by a police officer.

Compensation to families

Mursi, who offered condolences on state television, promised financial compensation to the families of the deceased and reported that several officials sent to the Attorney General "in order to identify those responsible." Also, Prime Minister Hisham Qandil has moved to the scene accompanied by the holders of Interior, Health and Local Development. Meanwhile, continued removal of the bodies. The families, who sought their loved ones between notebooks and books scattered on the roads,complained of slow relief and rallied demanding the execution of those responsible for the collision.

Transport minister resigns

The accident has already led to a string of resignations. Transportation Minister Mohamed Rashad the Metini has taken responsibility and has left office . The Railway Authority chief Mustafa Qenaui alsofollowed the same path . And the president, the Islamist Mohamed Mursi, has asked his Prime Minister Hisham Qandil, giving assistance to the families of the victims and the injured. Following the incident, an investigation has been opened . Earlier this month, the collision of two railways in the province of Fayoum, about 85 kilometers south of the capital, leaving four dead and 30 wounded. And last July, 20 people were injured after a train derailed and collided with another to use 7 kilometers south of Cairo.

Poorly maintained infrastructure

The Egyptian railway system, with 5,000 kilometers , is the largest in the Middle East but brings a long history of fatal accidents. Wagons old and slow and a poorly maintained infrastructure contribute to periodic disasters. To date, the worst disaster occurred in February 2002 , when a train heading south of the country caught fire causing the death of 363 people about 70 miles from Cairo. Four years later, the collision of two damaged machines and old left 58 dead. In October 2009 another crash caused 18 casualties and 55 injured after one of the railroads, heading to Upper Egypt (South), made ​​an unscheduled stop after embedded with a cow. 37 people were killed in July 2008 to be overrun several vehicles in a level crossing in the north.