Three people have been killed and 103 others injured due to a train derailing while en route to the Egyptian capital Cairo, the country’s health ministry has said.

The train had been travelling from the northern coastal city of Marsa Matruh when seven of its carriages came off the tracks around 15:30 local time (12:30 GMT) on Saturday, with two carriages being overturned, officials said.

Health Minister Dr Khaled Abdul Ghaffar offered his condolences and prayers to the families of the victims, and wished those injured a swift recovery.

The transport ministry and the Egyptian National Railways Authority (ENRA) are investigating the cause of the crash, which remains unclear.

Officials said the incident occurred on a stretch of track between the Fouka and Jalal stations, just east of Marsa Matruh on the edge of the Sahara.

The ENRA said in a statement that anyone found responsible for the derailment would be punished.

It added that technical crews and equipment have been dispatched to clear the wreckage and restore services as soon as possible.

Speaking on behalf of Egypt’s transport ministry, it also offered its condolences to the families of those killed.

Dr Abdul Ghaffar visited the scene of the crash to supervise the emergency response, and later visited those injured in hospital.

All the injured were taken to two local hospitals via ambulance, according to the health ministry.

It added that the bodies of the three people who were now in the custody of public prosecutors.

Accidents on Egypt’s railway network are frequent, in part due to poor maintenance and a lack of investment.

One of the deadliest train disasters occurred in 2002, when more than 370 people died after a fire broke out on a train travelling south of Cairo.