The accident occurred when the train hit a cement wall in the southern province of Beni Suief causing two of its cars to overturn Gamal al-Gouhari said.

Beni Suief security chief Mahmoud al-Ashri said the train driver was detained.

"Initial investigations show that the driver was the main cause of the accident" he added.

Last month at least six people were killed when a train collided with a car near Cairo.

Seven children were also killed last year when a train rammed into a school bus in the Nile Delta.

By Mahmoud Ghareb