Sharqiya railroad traffic halted due to explosion

Saturday 22-11-2014 10:44 AM
Sharqiya railroad traffic halted due to explosion

People travel on an overcrowded train in Cairo November 18, 2013. REUTERS/Mohamed Abd El Ghany

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CAIRO, Nov 22 (Aswat Masriya) – A minor explosion on the Sharqiya railroad broke part of the track, therefore halting traffic on Saturday morning, state television reported.

The Railroad Authority said in a statement reported by state television that the explosion led to a metre-long damage to the track and also caused a 50 centimetre-deep hole beneath the track.

Gad al-Haqq, head of the police transport administration, told Aswat Masriya that explosives experts moved to the scene of the explosion to comb the area and make sure no more explosive devices are planted nearby.

Egypt's security forces have intensified their security measures in reaction to repeated militant attacks that target army and police officials, which rose significantly since the military ouster of former President Mohamed Mursi last year, after mass protests against his rule. The attacks started in the Sinai Peninsula but soon expanded to other areas of the country, including the capital.

Blasts in residential areas are usually carried out using IEDs. 

An Improvised Explosive Device (IED) exploded in the last cart of a train in the Menuf train station on November 5, killing four and injuring eight. 

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