Egypt’s President Morsi Visits Rail Crash Site

President of Egypt Mohammed Morsi yesterday attended the site of the rail crash that claimed the lives of 19 young recruits to the Central Security force and injured more than 100.

President Morsi visited survivors in hospital accompanied by press and TV cameras, while helicopters circled the site of the accident, and pledged that officials would be held accountable for what had happened.

Meanwhile, public bystanders at the site and passengers at Egypts main train stations staged protests against President Morsi, chanting anti-Morsi slogans. “Where were you when the accident happened?” they shouted.

The accident comes just two months after 50 primary school children died as their bus was hit by a train on an unmarked crossing, and less than a year since Morsi was elected following the uprising that ousted his predecessor Hosni Mobarak. Egypt’s infrastructure has suffered from years of neglect. During his campaign for office, Morsi promised to institute a 100-day plan to resolve Egypt’s most pressing issues, most of which has not happened.

The National Salvation Front, a group opposing Morsi’s regime, called for the government to realign its priorities and focus on protecting Egyptians’ lives and improving standards of living.