Scores of people were trapped inside, some by window grills, as the burning train barreled along the tracks. The engineer drove on for 2 1/2 miles before learning of the fire, and even after he brought the train to a halt, the fire went on for hours, destroying seven of the train's 11 cars.

When it was over, rescue workers pulled out charred bodies, some from under seats where they were curled up.

The cause of the fire was not known. Suspicion fell on gas containers that passengers often bring with them to cook food or make tea on the long journey.

Ahmed Adil, the Health Ministry undersecretary, put the death toll at 370. Police said 65 people were being treated for injuries. That made it the deadliest accident in 150 years of Egyptian railroad history and one of the worst train fires anywhere in the world. In 1989, about 600 people were killed when a gas pipeline explosion blew apart two trains stopped in Russia's Ural Mountains.

The train was headed south from the capital, Cairo, on a trip that took it along the edge of the Nile Valley. Survivors said the train was so full that they were sitting on the floor. Ahmed al-Sherif, director of the state-owned Egyptian Railway Authority, said the train was overcrowded, putting the number aboard at about 1,200.

Along with some families, most on board were men working in Cairo heading to their home villages to see their families for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, or "feast of sacrifice." For the four-day holiday, which begins Friday, Egyptians traditionally bring gifts, particularly new clothes for children.

Maher Abdel Wahid, the prosecutor general, who led a team of investigators to the scene, said that if his 25 investigators and 45 coroners determined "there was any kind of negligence, and that's what we are looking into, the punishment will be severe."

The Muslim Brotherhood, the banned movement that is Egypt's main opposition group, immediately called for an investigation into the "gross negligence that led to this tragic incident."

The Brotherhood has in the past won praise from Egyptians for its disaster relief efforts. The government, wary of the group's popularity, several years ago banned non-governmental organizations from providing emergency aid. Mohammed Mersi, head of the Brotherhood faction in parliament -- who are officially independents -- said the group would abide by the aid ban but study what else it could do to help.

After the fire, security forces were out in large numbers, some ringing the hospital in Ayyat, 12 miles to the north, where most survivors and many bodies were taken, apparently for fear of an angry reaction from relatives and survivors. There were no signs of protest.

Al-Sherif said the train left Cairo on its 300-mile journey to Luxor about 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, and the fire broke out about 1 a.m. Wednesday. The train traveled in flames for 2 1/2 miles before stopping at Reqa al-Gharbiya, a village 60 miles south of Cairo. Al-Sherif said it was not clear why the emergency brakes were not applied immediately.

Electricity in the train went out in the moments after fire, leaving confused and frightened passengers in darkness, witnesses said. The cars had metal frames with wooden seats, and witnesses saw passengers, some on fire, running from car to car.

The fire appeared to have broken out in the fourth car, which was the most badly burned. Investigators were looking into gas cylinders and small stoves passengers often bring, despite regulations forbidding it. People were likely smoking on board as well.

"They should have checked the train before starting the journey," said Aida Mehana, a 26-year-old housewife who survived the fire with minor injuries. "These are people's souls, or do they only care about theirs? The train is like a stable for animals, it is trash."

Said Fuad Amin, a 22-year-old construction worker who jumped from the burning train, said the first signs of trouble were shouts and screams. He thought there was a fight, but then saw people running, including a woman whose clothes were on fire.

Amin ran, too, until he found a window broken open. He hesitated at first because the train was moving fast.

"I thought I was going to die anyway, so I jumped," he said. It was the last thing he remembered before waking up in the nearest hospital, in the town of Ayyat, 12 miles north. He was treated for a broken hand and a suspected concussion.

Other jumpers did not survive -- ambulance workers say 40 bodies were recovered from along the tracks.

Wednesday afternoon, a warning siren blared repeatedly in Reqa al-Gharbiya as workers placed bodies, many burned beyond recognition, into ambulances.

Corpses had melded together in piles on the train. Among charred luggage collected nearby, a Bible, children's clothing and what appeared to be a wedding dress could be seen.

Mosques were opened to survivors and villagers supplied blankets, food and hot drinks to the stranded passengers.

The rail line linking Cairo with southern Egypt was closed indefinitely. The Egyptian Railway Authority has been plagued by overstaffing and old equipment. It relies on state subsidies to operate some 1,300 trains every day, keeping fares low for poor Egyptians.