The two trains derailed within minutes of each other as they were crossing a bridge over the rain-swollen Machak River about 950 kilometers (590 miles) south of New Delhi.

The Kamayani Express was on its way to Mumbai when it was hit by floodwaters near the town of Harda in Madhya Pradesh state, and the Janata Express was traveling in the opposite direction when it derailed soon after, plunging into a river.

According to officials, at least 250 people had been rescued by early Wednesday morning.

Railway official Anil Saksena told the Associated Press that at least two coaches had been partially submerged in the river and while most people had been pulled to safety, federal rescue workers were still searching for passengers likely trapped in the trains.

He said that a quick emergency response had likely averted a high casualty count.

Six coaches from the Kamayani Express and the engine and four coaches from the Janata Express had derailed.

By Wednesday morning the unaffected coaches had been moved from the tracks.

Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi said the government was monitoring the situation "very closely."

Former Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi, however, said the derailment could have been avoided if the tracks had been maintained.

"It's totally unacceptable. It's a symptom of a deep-rooted cancer in the railway system," Trivedi told reporters.

av/cmk (AP, dpa, Reuters)