19 Year-old Yara Negm Cruched between two University Buses in GUC

On 9 March, 19-year old Yara Tarek Negm was crushed between two buses at the German University in Cairo (GUC) campus.  Yara Negm was looking at her mobile and wasn’t aware that a reversing bus was headed towards her.

The day after her death, the student union, along with hundreds of students staged a sit-on, protesting against the lack of safety on universities ground.

Khaled Hesham, a student in the GUC, mentioned that there were previous accidents in which students were injured by the busses. He also believed that negligence was the main cause of Yara’s death.

As an initial response to the growing protests, the university’s administration cancelled classes for three days of mourning for Yara, and to calm students down. It also announced the suspension of student activities for two weeks.

Students mentioned that they will continue the sit-ins until the administration take action and meet their demands.

The student demanded the questioning of the transportation department and called for campus safety and parking rules to be improved, including setting up pavements in the garage area and adding sensors to the buses so students are alerted when the bus is moving in reverse, as well as properly equipped ambulance to be made available at the university’s clinic.

Yara’s father called on students to end their sit-in and resume their classes and exams, he also attempt to calm angry students by telling them that he will no relinquish the rights of his daughter and will make sure whoever is accountable will be punished.