Two trains have derailed in India, killing at least four passengers, including two British tourists.

Three coaches of a special tourist train went off the tracks near the northern hill town of Kalka, in Himachal Pradesh state.

The train was rounding a curve when the coaches derailed, said Neeraj Sharma, a railway official.

Two female British tourists, died instantly. Five other passengers were injured, Sharma said.

No other details were immediately available.

Suresh Prabhu, India's railway minister, ordered an investigation. The train, known as "a toy train," is a tourist attraction, with only five coaches, and does a scenic route to the mountain resort town of Shimla.

Earlier today, nine coaches of a train derailed in southern India, killing at least two people and leaving several injured.

Police and rescuers helped pull out scores of passengers from the coaches, which fell onto their side near Gulbarga in Karnataka state. The injured were taken to hospitals.