Forty people were killed and 40 injured when a train crashed into several vehicles on a railway crossing in northern Egypt on Wednesday, state news agency Mena said.

The accident happened after a truck slammed into vehicles including a car and a bus waiting at the crossing, pushing them onto the tracks, security sources said. The train ploughed into the vehicles seconds later.

Mena quoted officials as saying the truck's brakes had failed.

The force of the impact flipped two of the train's carriages over and unhitched three more, a security source added.

Mena said the dead and injured had been transferred to a number of local hospitals.

Reckless driving, lax traffic rules and poor road conditions cause many road crashes in Egypt. A series of road and rail accidents over the past few years triggered a public outcry over the government's handling of road and transport safety. - Reuters