A train derailed in northern India on Wednesday injuring at least 43 people, police and rail officials said, at least the third such accident in recent weeks that has raised concerns about the safety of the ageing rail network.

The train derailed near the city of Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh state early in the morning.

All the injured, several of whom were in critical condition, had been taken to nearby hospitals, Javeed Ahmad, director general of police, Uttar Pradesh, said in a tweet.

TV footage from the scene showed mangled, toppled carriages, some with their wheels still on the tracks. Two coaches had fallen off a bridge into a small canal. Some passengers were seen picking up their luggage from near the tracks.