More than 350 Dead in Egypt Train Fire
VOA News
20 Feb 2002 13:32 UTC
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The death toll from a passenger train inferno in Egypt keeps rising - authorities say more than 350 people have died.

Some people were burned beyond recognition -- others died when they jumped from the moving train to escape the flames.

Egyptian authorities believe the fire started when a passenger tried to light a small portable stove. The burning train travelled several kilometers before coming to a stop near the town of al-Ayatt, about 70 kilometers south of Cairo.

The train was packed with holiday travelers leaving the Egyptian capital ahead of the Muslim Eid al-Ahda or Bairam (the Feast of the Sacrifice) celebrations that begin Friday.

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