At least 22 people were killed and 42 injured when two trains collided at about 6:30 p.m. Saturday near Garza village, some 50 km south of Cairo, a police officer told Xinhua.

A passenger train driving from Cairo to Fayoum, hit from the behind another passenger train heading for Asyout from Cairo, which stopped to check when it hit a big animal. The collision damaged two carriages of the front train, where at least dozens are still trapped, the police source said.

Rescue teams are trying to cut the damaged carriages open to pull more passengers out.

The policeman said no foreigners had been found among the dead and injured so far.

Traffic accidents are quite common in Egypt. It's estimated that about 6,000 people were killed in traffic incidents annually.

In July 2008, 44 were killed and 35 others injured when a number of vehicles collided with a speedy train at Foka level crossing in the northern governorate of Matrouh, about 430 km northwest of the capital.

2009-10-25 xinhuanet.com/