A passenger train derailed on Sunday north of Cairo, injuring around 100 people, Egyptian authorities said.

It was the latest of several rail accidents to hit the country in recent years.

Four train wagons ran off the railway at the city of Banha in Qalyubia province, just north of Cairo, the railway authority said in a statement.

Videos on social media purportedly showed wagons overturned and passengers escaping to safety along the railway.

The train was travelling to Nile Delta city of Mansoura from the Egyptian capital, the statement said.

Egypt Train Crash
A crane is used to lift a part of a passenger train that derailed injuring some 100 people, near Banha, Qalyubia province, Egypt (Fadel Dawood/AP)

The health ministry said that at least 97 people were injured.

Around 60 ambulances were sent to the scene and the injured were taken to nearby hospitals, the ministry added.

Salvage teams could be seen searching for survivors and removing the derailed wagons.

It was not immediately clear what caused the train to derail. Prosecutors said they were investigating the causes of the crash.

Last week, at least 15 people were injured when train carriages derailed in the Nile Delta province of Sharqia.

Sunday’s train accident came three weeks after two passenger trains collided in the province of Sohag, killing at least 18 people and injuring 200 others, including children.