At least two people have been killed and 24 others injured after a passenger train derailed and overturned several carriages on Thursday in India.

Authorities said rescue and relief efforts are ongoing.

The Chandigarh-Dibrugarh Express, a 22-car passenger service that runs for 2,640km, derailed near the northern Hinu holy city of Ayodhya, at around 1430hrs.

"Two people have died," Indian Railways spokesman Pankaj Kumar Singh said, AFP reported.

Uttar Pradesh state relief commissioner Naveen Kumar told AFP that another 35 were injured, three of them seriously. He added that rescue operations were finished and no one was trapped inside the train.

At least four carriages had overturned at the site of the accident in Gonda district, broadcaster NDTV reported.

Footage aired by the network showed passengers standing on top of a derailed compartment that had crashed onto its side while others milled about the wreckage.

"The train accident in Gonda district is extremely sad," Uttar Pradesh state chief minister Yogi Adityanath posted on social media platform X.

"District administration officials have been directed to carry out relief and rescue operations on a war footing and to take the injured to the hospital," he added.

"I pray to Lord Ram for the speedy recovery of the injured."

Anil Kumar Tiwari, chief medical superintendent of Gonda District Hospital, told AFP that a team of medics had been rushed to the accident site.