India train derailment: At least 36 killed as express comes off tracks

At least 36 people have been killed and 50 others injured after a passenger train derailed in southern India, railway officials have said.

The express train was travelling from from Jagdalpur to Bhubaneswar in India's Andhra Pradesh state when it came off the tracks in Kuneri station.

Rescue workers are at the site Sunday morning trying to cut open mangled coaches.

"The rescue operation is almost over," said JP Mishra, the chief public relations officer at East Coast Railway, which has jurisdiction over the area where the derailment occurred.

"Our first priority is to take care of the injured passengers and provide them proper treatment by shifting them to hospitals. We are also searching all the coaches to ensure that nobody remains stranded in them," he said.

Nine carriages came off the tracks in what is the latest disaster to hit India's accident-prone railways.

"Nine bogies were derailed of which three have turned and fallen off the track," said LKV Ranga Rao, the local police superintendent.

"Most of the casualties and deaths are from the three sleeper class compartments."