South Giza public prosecutors have received a detailed report on last month's Ayyat rail disaster. Prepared by a five-member, government-appointed technical committee, the report blasts the driver of train no. 152, asserting that he could have reduced speed and used the nearest signal box to prevent the crash, which claimed the lives of 18 people and injured 36. Public Prosecutor Abdel Megid Mahmoud is expected to refer eight suspects to criminal prosecutors for their respective roles in the accident within hours. The suspects, who already face a number of charges including involuntary manslaughter, have also been accused of negligence and of causing damage to a public facility. A trial date, however, has yet to be announced. The eight suspects include the driver of ill-fated train no. 152, his assistant and the rear conductor of the train, as well as the driver of the second train involved in the accident -- no. 188 -- and his assistant. A signalman at the National Railway Authority's control center -- who left his post prematurely and failed to heed automated warnings of the impending crash -- and a control tower officer at the Kafr Ammar station -- who likewise departed his post three hours before the accident -- are also among the suspects. Investigations currently underway have so far determined that the accused men failed to take appropriate measures to avert the looming catastrophe. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
