New Delhi, Nov 20 (IANS): Senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi on Sunday called for a probe into the derailment of 14 coaches of the Indore-Patna Express near Kanpur city, and suspected foul play behind the tragedy.

"The Railway Ministry should probe the matter soon whether track was broken or it is a plot against the central government," the Bharatiya Janata Party's former president and member of parliament from Kanpur told reports.

The disaster took place when the Patna-bound train's coaches derailed a little after 3 a.m. near Pukhraya station, about 60 km from Kanpur, railway and police officials said.

The passengers were asleep when the disaster struck, taking everyone unawares. The first to derail were the S1 and S2 coaches, which suffered maximum damage, followed by 12 other coaches.

The officials said security personnel and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams were cutting through badly mangled coaches to pull out bodies and the injured.

Within an hour, thousands of people from neighbouring villagers rushed to the site and helped out the injured and survivors.

About 100 people are killed and more than 150 injured in the accident.