Al-Wazir, who rushed to the scene of the accident immediately after the accident, has rejected these and said he would keep working on developing the country’s ageing rail network.

He said that a technical committee has been formed to determine the cause of the accident.

On Sunday afternoon, four carriages of a train derailed at a station near Toukh, as it travelled north from the capital, Cairo, to the city of Mansoura.

At least 11 people died and more than 100 others injured in the accident, according to Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population.

The majority of the injured were transferred to Benha Hospital with injuries ranging from fractures to cuts and abrasions, Dr Khaled Mujahid, Assistant Minister of Health and Population for Information and Awareness said.

The driver, assistant driver, and eight station officials, have been detained, the rail authority said.

Hundreds of train accidents take place in the country every year due to badly maintained equipment and mismanagement.

Egypt needs 250 billion Egyptian pounds, or $14.1 billion, to overhaul the run-down rail system, according to the country’s officials. (ILKHA)