A train collided with a school bus Saturday in the Upper Egyptian city of Assiut, leaving 47 students dead and several injured.

A train collided with a school bus Saturday in the Upper Egyptian city of Assiut, leaving 47 students dead and several injured, Interior Ministry stated.

The school bus was carrying 60 kindergarten pupils aged between four and six, when it hit the train as it was crossing the rail.

The secretary of the ministry of health, in Assiut, told Al-Ahram Arabic news website that the toll count of deaths and injuries is still ongoing.

Apparently the railroad crossing was not closed for car traffic as the train sped towards it.

Meanwhile, Minister of Transportation Mohammad Rashad El-Metiny resigned following the accident. According to El-Metiny, responsibility for the accident ultimately falls on him.

Head of the Railway Authority, Mostafa Qenawi, also submitted his resignation and will fall under investigation on the accident.

According to a report published in July 2011 by the Central Authority for Public Transport, road and rail accidents claimed over 7,000 lives in Egypt in 2010 — a rise of 7.9 per cent over the previous year.