Here is what Yahoo News has to say about this terrible tragedy. http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20020220/ts/egypt_train_fire.html
I saw a pic of the charred hulks that ewre passenger cars- with the grilles over the windows, small wonder no one could escape. Has it been told how this fire started? I'd hate to think it was the work of terrorists, but somehow it wouldn't surprise me.
The last thing I heard about the cause of this fire, is that it started because of cooking on the train. The yahoo article briefly mentioned the fact that some passengers had containers of gas for cooking, with them onbboard.
Cooking on board is a common practise in countries where rail is the major form of "modern" transportation. There was fire on an Indian train a number of years ago also attributed to a cook stove, although with fewer deaths. PBS ran a series on rail journies throughout the world a few years back. Most of the trains in third world countries were shown with passengers cooking on board. I remember one incidence in South America where the commentator was surprised to see a chicken being slaughtered for the family meal
Hank, Saudi airlines lost an L-1011 and the cause was suspected to be cooking on board, just like the train. The airplane was on fire and made it back to earth, but no one even attempted to get out, probably asphyxiated. It burned to the ground. Bodies were stacked at the left front boarding door, where everyone got on. There are 7 other doors. People are creatures of habit.
