At least 21 dead in India train derailment

The train plunged off a bridge killing at least 21 people

COCHIN, India (CNN) -- At least 21 people were killed and 155 injured when a passenger train derailed in India's southern state of Kerala on Friday afternoon, officials of the state-owned railway said.

The train was traveling from Mangalore to Chennai, 1,787 kilometers (1,110 miles) south of New Delhi, when the train plunged off a bridge just before 5:30 p.m. (1100 GMT).

The secretary of health in Kerala, Rama Murty, said two cars were completely submerged in the Kadalundi River, one is partially submerged and another is dangling off the bridge.

Weather reports indicate that it was raining at the time of the accident and the river was said to be swollen.

Dozens of people are believed still trapped. Some of the injured had been transported to hospitals, and rescuers were searching for more survivors.

The federal minister for railways, Nitish Kumar, left New Delhi to head for the scene of the crash. Before his departure, Kumar said that at least six carriages had derailed.

Indian authorities said it wasn't clear how many people were on the train, but they have set up help lines for family members of people who may have been on the train.

CNN Correspondent Kasra Naji contributed to this report.