In brief: Egypt rail crash leaves 19 dead

CAIRO – At least 19 people died and more than 100 were injured when two railroad passenger cars derailed just south of Cairo after midnight Monday, health officials said.

The accident comes less than two weeks after a new transportation minister was appointed to overhaul the rail system, and just two months after a deadly collision between a train and school bus.

The official MENA news agency quoted Health Ministry officials who said that the 107 wounded were being treated in hospitals near the site of the accident in Giza’s Badrasheen neighborhood. They said the number of dead is expected to rise.

The state-owned Ahram website reported that the 12-carriage train was carrying 1,328 conscripted Egyptian soldiers headed north from Assiut to Cairo.

Roy Hamad Gaafar, a survivor, said he was on board when the last two carriages detached from the rest and derailed.

Tokyo snowstorm halts air travelers

TOKYO – Tokyo’s Narita International Airport operator says 3,400 travelers spent the night in the terminal after snow caused airlines to cancel 71 flights.

In the season’s first snowfall in the Japanese capital, about 3 inches of snow fell in central Tokyo and around Narita on Monday – a national holiday in Japan. The snow snarled traffic and caused train delays.

Airport officials distributed sleeping bags, water and crackers to stranded travelers. Normal flight operations at Narita resumed today, except for a few delays.

Major train operator JR East said trains were running on schedule today.

Sections of several highways around Tokyo were still closed today as workers cleared away snow and ice.