At least two persons were killed and over 50 others injured in a rail mishap in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu Wednesday, a senior police official said.

"The mishap happened when a passenger train derailed near Arakkonam in Tamil Nadu at 5.30 a.m. Some 11 compartments were derailed. While two persons died on the spot, all the injured have been admitted to nearby hospitals where the condition of some are said to be critical," he said on condition of anonymity.

Local TV channels showed footage of rescuers bringing out survivors from inside the derailed coaches and senior railway and police officials overseeing the operation.

A probe has been ordered into the incident, the official said, ruling out sabotage.

Rail mishaps are common in India which runs one of the world's largest railway networks criss-crossing in the northern and southern parts of the country.