CHENNAI/HYDERABAD: At least 25 people have been killed and many others injured after a sleeper coach, S-11, of Delhi-Chennai Tamil Nadu Express caught fire near Nellore in Andhra Pradesh , acccording to an official.

According to Hyderabad district collector B Sridha , the train stopped after fire in one coach was noticed by an official at a railroad station at Nellore on Monday.

The district collector said the fire was believed to have been caused by a short circuit in the coach. It has been extinguished and at least 22 injured people have been hospitalized.

The coach caught fire when majority of the passengers were sleeping.

"We saw smoke billowing and before anything could be done it caught fire and spread. All of us jumped out of the train," said a passenger who was in S10 compartment of the train.

According to latest reports, the S11 coach of Delhi-Chennai Tamil Nadu Express has been detached and the train has started its onward journey to Chennai.

The accident has delayed arrival of a few trains to Chennai this morning.

More details are awaited.

(With inputs from AP)