Families of the 370 people who died when a fire ripped through a train in Egypt will begin identifying their loved ones today.
The Eid al-Adha holiday, normally a joyous celebration, was shrouded in grief after the tragedy, the worst disaster in 150 years of Egyptian rail history. The train had been carrying many Egyptians to their families for Islam's biggest feast.
As Egypt marks the feast, relatives will be allowed into a central Cairo morgue to identify the remains. But witnesses of yesterday's disaster said identification would be close to impossible.
Most of the bodies pulled from the wreckage near al-Ayatt, about 70 kilometres south of the capital, were charred beyond recognition. Some passengers were trapped behind window-grilles, and only a few managed to jump from windows and doors to escape.
The train rolled on for several kilometres after the fire broke out, the wind fanning the flames.
A senior state coroner told the official MENA news agency that unidentified bodies would be buried in a mass grave. Another source said they would be buried on Saturday.
Security sources said investigations into the tragedy and clean-up operations would resume today, even though work in the rest of Egypt will halt as scheduled for the holiday which lasts several days.
Initial investigations showed the fire began when a passenger tried to light a small gas stove. Egyptians often use portable stoves to brew their own tea and coffee on board. The public prosecutor's office told MENA survivors and witnesses had also suggested a short circuit might be to blame.