At least three people were killed and 10 others were injured on Friday when a minibus reportedly driving across an illegal rail crossing crashed into a passing train in the northern Egyptian city of Faqous, a medical source said.

The number of casualties may rise considering some victims were in critical conditions, a doctor in Faqous Central Hospital in the Sharqiya Province told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

Eight ambulances rushed to the scene, where the minibus used for mass transit was carrying 14 passengers during the accident.

"The train driver saw the minibus attempting to cross the railroad at an illegal crossing point though a legal one was just 800 meters away," the Egyptian National Railways (ENR) said, adding the crossing closed by the ENR was repeatedly reopened by local residents and drivers.

Seeing the minibus approaching, the train driver repeatedly hit warning signals and horns and braked sharply, but the minibus still moved toward the rail, resulting in a big crash, it said in a statement.

The bus driver was arrested after fleeing the scene, the ENR noted.

In Egypt, traffic accidents are common and claim thousands of lives every year. Most of the accidents are caused by speeding, poor maintenance of roads, and lax enforcement of traffic laws.

Over the past few years, Egypt has been upgrading its road network by building new roads and bridges and repairing old ones to reduce traffic accidents.