The cause? Drivers of Cairo's Metro trains had gone on strike. Thankfully the strike ended at noon on Wednesday following the departure of the Metro's Chairman Ali Hussein. Drivers agreed to resume work after it was announced that Minister of Transport Rashad Al-Matini had accepted Hussein's resignation, though disgruntled workers are still pressing for Hussein to be investigated on charges of squandering public funds. The strike began on Tuesday evening and was at first limited to three stations. It quickly spread, paralysing the underground network. At Cairo University Metro station entrances to the platforms were chained shut. There were reports of furious passengers chasing train drivers. At Al-Marg station commuters broke the windows and doors of trains in protest at the stoppage while at Helwan dozens of enraged passengers stormed workers' offices searching for Metro drivers.
