At least four people were killed after an express passenger train from the Indian capital to the northeast city of Dibrugarh derailed in the eastern state of Bihar early Wednesday morning, said officials and local media reports.

Officials said sabotage is not ruled out in the incident, in which the Rajdhani Express derailed from 02:30 to 03:00 a.m. local time near Chhapra some 75 km from the state capital of Bihar Ptana with 11 of its coaches turned turtle.

Indian Railways confirmed the death of four people in the accident and said sabotage by leftwing rebels is likely in view of a shutdown call by the Naxalite guerrillas who are active in the area.

Relief and rescue operations are on in full swing at the accident site. Relief train is taking the stranded passengers to the nearest station, according to TV footages.

Railway minister Sadananda Gowda has announced compensation of 200,000 rupees (3,200 U.S. dollars) for the family of the dead and 100,000 rupees for those seriously injured.

He also said railway authorities will conduct an independent inquiry into the accident, the second major mishap of railways within one month.

Over 30 people were killed when a passenger train crashed into a goods train on May 26 in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

The Gorakhdham Express crashed into a goods train at Chureb railway station in Sant Kabir Nagar in Uttar Pradesh, when it was traveling from Gorakhpur to Hisar via New Delhi. 

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