NEW DELHI, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Several people were injured after a passenger train derailed Saturday in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, officials said.
Initial reports said at least six coaches derailed from the railway track in Muzaffarnagar, around 100 km from New Delhi, India's national capital.
"This evening a train - Utkal Express derailed in Muzaffarnagar's Khatauli area injuring several people, some of them critically," a local official told Xinhua.
"Around six coaches of the train derailed from the track and one of the derailed coach hit a house," the official said.
Following the derailment, locals rushed to the spot to help people trapped in the derailed coaches.
"The injured were taken to local medical facility," the official said.
Authorities have rushed police teams and disaster response force personnel to the spot to intensify rescue work.
There are fears some passengers are caught inside mangled coaches. Reports said the derailment is likely to affect train movements on the route.
Indian railway minister Suresh Prabhu said he instructed officials to rush to the spot.
"I am personally monitoring situation. Have instructed senior officers to reach site immediately and ensure speedy rescue and relief operations," Prabu said.
In January, 39 people were killed and over 50 injured in a train derailment accident in southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.
The Indian government in 2015 announced an investment of over 137 billion U.S. dollars over a period of five years to boost railways and modernise it on new lines.
Indian sprawling railways is the world's third largest network, ferrying around 23 million people each day.
