At least 12 people were confirmed dead while more than 150 others were injured when nine coaches of an express train derailed in the southern Indian state of Karnataka on Friday.

The local police said the number of fatalities could rise anytime as some of those admitted to the hospital were in critical condition.

Like Us on Facebook

"The mishap happened when nine coaches of an express train derailed near state capital Bengaluru in the morning. While 12 people have died, those injured have been admitted to nearby hospitals where the condition of some are said to be serious," a police officer said.

The accident occurred while the Bangalore City-Ernakulam Intercity Express train was on its way to Kochi city in Kerala from Bengaluru, the police said.

Several others were still trapped inside the mangled coaches as of this writing and rescuers were trying to pull out those who are still alive but could not get out of the train.

The train accident already reached Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi, who immediately issued a statement wishing for the speedy recovery of those injured.

"Railway Minister (Suresh Prabhu) and officials are closely monitoring the situation and ensuring timely relief," he said

One of the survivors told local media that the incident happened so fast that most of the passengers were caught off guard.

"We just felt a loud thud and then it happened," said the survivor.

The Railway Minister said the accident occurred when a boulder fell on the track and the train failed to make a stop then hit it.

"I am personally monitoring it and in touch with state and local administration," he tweeted.

The Indian Railways said it will provide financial assistance to the families of those who perished in the derailment.

The state-owned Indian Railways, one of the world's largest train networks, runs hundreds of trains daily, crisscrossing the country from north to south, but it's safety record is poor.

TagsIndia Train Accident, India Derailment