At least 65 people died when two trains collided in north-east India after one was derailed by what officials say was an act of sabotage¹.

印度东北部地区发生两列火车相撞事故，造成至少65人死亡，官员称此次事故是由于阴谋破坏导致其中一列火车脱轨而相撞。

A Calcutta-Mumbai passenger train derailed（出轨） overnight in West Bengal where a section of track had been removed, a rail official said.

Cars and passengers were thrown in front of a goods train travelling in the opposite direction.

The area is known to be a stronghold（要塞，中心地） of Maoist rebels.

The rebels had called for observance（仪式，庆祝） of a "black week" from Friday to Wednesday in five states - including West Bengal - where they wield²（挥舞，使用） considerable influence.

But according to officials it is too early to say if the Maoists are to blame for the incident, which left more than 200 passengers injured.

Early reports said the passenger train had been derailed by an explosion.

The number of dead was expected to rise as hundreds of people have yet to be cut free from the wreckage³（残骸） - in the Jhargram area of West Midnapore - some eight hours after the collision.

Rescue workers have still not been able to enter three of the derailed coaches in which a large number of passengers are feared to be trapped, reports the BBC's Subir Bhaumik from Calcutta.

A lack of cutters was hindering（阻碍，打扰） the rescue effort, our correspondent adds.

TV pictures also showed bodies being removed from mangled⁴（被损坏的） carriages and helicopters air-lifting injured passengers from the scene.

Railway spokesman Soumitra Majumdar said five coaches of the passenger train - the Gyaneswari Express - had been derailed due to missing "fish plates（鱼尾板，接合板） " on the track.

These coaches then fell on to the neighbouring track where they were rammed⁵ by the goods train, he said.

There were 13 carriages - including 10 sleeper⁶ coaches and a coach with unreserved seating - on the passenger train, the Times of India reported.