AUC mourns German University student killed in bus accident

BY MARIAM FARID

AUC officials say they will strengthen their safety protocols in the wake of the death of a student at the German University in Cairo who was killed after being struck by a bus there.

Mamdouh Gaber, AUC’s Traffic Manager, said there will be no major changes to the current system, but additional supervisors will ensure that the buses are moving on their main lines, and that pedestrians are walking on the sidewalk.

Meanwhile, AUC’s Student Union held a minute of silence on Wednesday followed by a funeral prayer in mourning for Yara Tarek Negm, an engineering freshman who was killed at the German University New Cairo (GUC) campus parking lot Monday after being crushed to death between two buses.

She was 19.

Many AUCians were angry that such an accident could occur at a private university – much like their own – where safety and security are stressed.

Menna Abou Taleb, undeclared sophomore, believes that Negm was killed because of negligence from the GUC administration and the bus driver.

“If the driver was given a proper instruction about when to move with his bus, such a thing would never have happened,” she said.

GUC announced that classes would be suspended for three days to mourn Negm’s death; campus activities will be suspended for two weeks.

Local newspapers and TV networks carried the news of Negm’s death on Tuesday. Wael Ibrashy, host of Dream 2’s 10 in the Evening news show, dedicated an entire segment to Negm’s death, interviewing student representatives.

GUC’s Student Union president told Ibrashy that there had been two other similar incidents in the past five years but that this was the first fatality.

According to a statement from GUC administration, the bus driver was taken into custody after turning himself in.

Hundreds of GUC students gathered in the parking lot late on Tuesday demanding greater accountability and responsibility from their university’s administration. They also demanded increased vetting of bus drivers and facilities.

Mirna Abdelmalak, GUC Student Union Vice-President, told The Caravan that during the strike, GUC administration admitted that the accident was their responsibility.

Abdelmalak added that the administration had also accepted student demands which include holding all personnel accountable, improving the parking system inside the university as well as as overall security, and enhancing student safety on campus.