DHAKA: At least 40 passengers have been feared killed and nearly 100 injured in Uttar Pradesh’s Sant Kabir Nagar district on Monday in one of the worst train accidents in the country in recent times.

The incident occurred when the New Delhi-Gorakhpur Gorakhdham Express rammed into a stationary freight train at the Churaid railway station at around 10.30am.

The accident site is around 60km from Gorakhpur and over 200km from state capital Lucknow.

A statement issued by the Uttar Pradesh director general police (DGP) AL Banerjee said that at least 40 people are feared dead in the accident.

The statement quoted Government Railway Police (GRP) in Sant Kabir Nagar.

Railway officials said six bogies of ill-fated train derailed after it rammed into the stationary goods train on platform no. 1 of the railway station.

The injured included the express train's driver and assistant driver, who were in critical condition, railway official Alok Kumar said, reports Hindustan Times.

Trains were diverted to other tracks to avoid the wreckage. Authorities were searching for the station master, who is said to be ‘absconding’ after the accident.

Sant Kabir Nagar district magistrate (DM) Bharat Lal, who rushed to the spot, had earlier confirmed 20 deaths but added that the casualty figure could go up.

Out of the six bogies which derailed, four were general coaches, one AC coach and one luggage van.

‘Six bogies have derailed. Five are completely damaged. I think 30-50 people are dead,’ the DM of neigbouring Basti district.

Rescuers were working to free people trapped under the toppled cars and twisted metal.

DST: 1957 HRS, MAY 26, 2014