The victims - two women and one man - were in a group that also included three other Germans and an Egyptian driver. The group had been travelling to Marsa Alam, a coastal resort further south when their car collided with a freight train, Reuters reported.

The three other Germans were injured in the accident and were taken to the nearby Hurghada General Hospital, a security source said.

An AFP analysis said Egypt's roads are among the most chaotic and dangerous in the world, with traffic laws widely flouted, despite a highway code introduced last year aimed at improving safety.

Traffic related accidents kill about 6,000 people and cause 30,000 injuries each year in Egypt, also because of poor upkeep of vehicles, according to the transport ministry.