Four killed when train hit taxi in Egypt

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GIZA, Egypt, Jan. 17 (UPI) -- Four people, including a child, died in Egypt when a train collided with a taxi, prompting nearby residents to criticize the lack of a functioning alert system.

The driver of the taxi passed through the Ard al-Lewa crossing Wednesday despite warnings of the oncoming train, al-Masry al-Youm reported.

Hussein Zakaria, president of the National Railways Authority, said warning lights signaled the approach of the train.

After the accident, hundreds of residents in the Giza neighborhood blocked the train tracks, rallying against the government, which they said did not respond to complaints by the crossing's watchmen who said the alert system was insufficient, Ahram Online reported.

The watchmen said because the train warning system did not work properly, they had to be notified of an oncoming train by watchtower guards by cellphone just moments before the train's arrival. They said it often gives them little time to close the railroad crossing manually.

The watchman on guard during the Wednesday accident warned the taxi driver about the approaching train, but the driver continued crossing, Ahram Online said.

The driver fled the scene following the accident, al-Masry al-Youm reported.