At least five people have died and more than 20 have been injured in the collision of a passenger train and a freight train this Monday shortly before arriving at a station in northeastern India, according to official sources.

“Five passengers died and between 20 and 25 were injured in the accident. The situation is serious. The incident occurred when a goods train collided with the Kanchenjunga Express,” Superintendent of Police Abhishek Roy told reporters.

The accident took place around 8:50 a.m. (3:20 GMT) at a station in the Daarjeling district of West Bengal, a very popular tourist destination in the northeast of the country, especially during the summer.

The express train was traveling from the Indian state of Assam to the city of Calcutta, in the state of West Bengal, according to local media. Images shared on social networks show to one of the carriages in an upright position, partially in the air, and other freight cars and containers destroyed or derailed after the crash. At the moment the causes of the accident are unknown.

“The train accident in West Bengal is sad. My condolences to those who lost their loved ones. I pray that the injured recover at the earliest. I have spoken to the officials and taken stock of the situation. Rescue operations are underway to help those affected,” said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a message on X.

The Asian country has the fourth largest railway network in the world by length, and between April 2017 and March 2021 it recorded 2,017 incidents with derailment as the most common cause, according to a recent report by the Auditor General (CAG).