Railway officials in the Indian state of West Bengal say hundreds of passengers on a train had a miraculous escape after six of its carriages derailed.

The incident involved a Calcutta-bound express train, which came off the rails around midnight (1830 GMT), near Mahipal station, officials said.

But a police officer in the station nearest to the scene, Dilip Hazra, said only 12 people were injured, and none were killed.

Just last week about 130 people died in a crash

Earlier this month at least 128 people died in a similar incident in the neighbouring state of Bihar when an express train from Calcutta to Delhi crashed after jumping the rails as it was crossing a bridge.

Railway officials said that the Teesta-Torsa express had left the New Jalpaiguri station in the northern part of West Bengal state at 1600 Indian time.

The BBC's correspondent in Calcutta, Subir Bhaumik, said officials reported that the train had been slowing down to change tracks as the derailment took place.

Railway officials say six carriages were derailed - including one crowded general compartment, three sleeper coaches, and an air-conditioned coach.

Lucky escape

A relief train from the nearby railway junction of Maldah has already reached the site of the accident.

Earlier in the day another train narrowly avoided a potential disaster in the neighbouring state of Bihar, when railway workers found that the metal plates that link pieces of track together had been removed.

At least 128 passengers died earlier this month near Bihar's Rafigung station when the high-profile Delhi-bound Rajdhani express went off the tracks and several carriages fell off a dilapidated railway bridge into a swollen river.

The accident raised questions about the safety of rail travel in India, a country with one of the largest railway networks in the world.