Egyptian officials say a train has collided with a school bus, killing scores of young children.

Officials say the accident occurred Saturday about 300 kilometers south of Cairo near the village of Manfalut in Egypt's southern Assiut province.

The bus was filled with about 60 children between the ages of four and six when it was hit by a train while crossing the tracks. Officials say 47 people were killed, nearly all of them children.

President Mohamed Morsi has ordered key ministers to offer assistance to the families of the victims.

Egypt's railway system has a poor safety record.