Egypt's state media reports say the transport minister and the head of the country's railway system have resigned following this week's deadly train fire, described as the country's worst-ever railway disaster.

At least 361 people were killed, most of them burned to death, Wednesday when an 11-car train caught fire as it headed south from Cairo. Egypt's Middle East News Agency says 170 bodies have been identified, but others are charred beyond recognition.

Egyptian television says that President Hosni Mubarak has accepted the resignation of Transport Minister Ibrahim Demiri, while Prime Minister Atef Obeid accepted the resignation of Ahmed Sherif, the head of the Railway Authority.

An increasing number of critics have been demanding dismissals of top officials and an overhaul of the 150-year-old railway system. Government investigators have launched an inquiry into the tragedy.

Officials believe the fire may have started from a portable gas stove carried on the train in violation of regulations. Prosecutor General Maher Abdel Wahid says his investigative team will look into both the cause of the accident and those who are responsible.

A front-page editorial in Thursday's edition of the opposition daily "Al-Wafd" demanded to know who is responsible for the tragedy and, in its words, "hang them in public squares and curse them for what they have done to the helpless Egyptian people."

The government has announced it will pay $665 each to families of those killed on the train, and $222 apiece to those injured.

Some information for this report provided by AFP and Reuters.

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