At least five people were charred to death and more than 50 others burned when a coach of an express train caught fire in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh early on Monday, police said.

"The mishap happened when a compartment of the Tamil Nadu Express, going from the Indian capital to the southern city of Chennai, caught fire at 5:30 a.m. local time soon after it left Nellore station in Andhra Pradesh. The train was enroute to Chennai when it caught fire," a police official said on condition of anonymity.

So far, rescuers have recovered five bodies from the coach carrying 72 passengers, the official said, adding that the 50 injured have been admitted to a local hospital where the condition of some are said to be serious.

Some passengers escaped from the burning coach which has now been separated from the train, he added.

The death toll is likely to go up, he said, adding that preliminary probe has revealed that a short circuit caused the fire.

Local TV channels showed footage of rescuers cutting the window panes of the coach to pull out the charred bodies as well as the injured people.

Train services have been disrupted in the region, the reports said.