Two passenger trains have derailed on a submerged railway bridge in Madhya Pradesh, India, killing at least 31 people and injuring more than 100.

According to media reports, at least 25 people have been injured and around 300 were rescued. The death toll is expected to rise.

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The Kamayani Express that was enroute to Varanasi is said to have run off first and the Mumbai-Jabalpur Janata Express travelling in the opposite direction derailed shortly after.

"Authorities are doing everything possible on the ground."

The derailment took place while the two trains were passing each other near Kudawa railway station, about 30km from Harda district on the same bridge when the tracks collapsed.

The small bridge, which was submerged after heavy rains triggered a flash flood, crosses the Machak river that is located about 950km from the country’s capital city, Delhi.

Six coaches of Kamayani Express and three coaches plus the engine of Janata Express have derailed and some of them plunged into the river and are partially submerged.

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Expressing concern over the loss of lives, prime minister Narendra Modi said in a statement: "The two train accidents in Madhya Pradesh are deeply distressing.

"Authorities are doing everything possible on the ground. The situation is being monitored very closely."

Railway officials have reported that rescue workers have tried to free those trapped inside the bogies, while divers used gas-powered cutting equipment to enter into the submerged carriages.

The Indian railway network employs around 1.25 million employees, who run 17,000 trains that carry up to 25 million people every day.