The accident occurred in the Balasore district of Odisha state late Friday and a massive rescue operation was launched involving the National Disaster Response Force, military and other agencies, according to officials.
Sudhanshu Sarangi, the state's Director General of the Fire Services Department, Odisha, confirmed the death toll to Anadolu, while a preliminary report released by the state emergency operation center on Saturday morning put the fatalities at 238.
The report said the accident involved Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, the Coromandel Express, and goods train on "three separate tracks" at Bahanaga market station in the Balasore district.
"17 coaches of these two trains were derailed and severely damaged," it added.
Dattatraya Bhausaheb Shinde, a top official from the Balasore district, told Anadolu that nearly 1,100 people were injured in the crash and shifted to different hospitals.
Atul Karwal, the director general of the National Disaster Rescue Force, called it a very tragic incident and said the ongoing operation would end by Saturday evening.
"The force with which the three trains collided with each other resulted in many coaches getting crushed and in a mangled condition," he said.
Rescue efforts underway
The authorities in Odisha announced that 200 ambulances and 45 mobile health teams were deployed, as well as additional doctor teams.
Footage from the site showed a large number of rescuers continuing to help passengers trapped on the train early Saturday. It showed immense damage to the coaches in what is the worst-ever train accident in recent Indian history.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who visited the site Saturday, said the focus remains on the rescue.
He said the best possible healthcare facility will be provided to the injured and a high-level committee has been formed to investigate the mishap and to know the root cause of the accident.
He said the probe will reveal how the accident happened.
Railway Ministry spokesman Amitabh Sharma told Anadolu late Friday that the accident occurred when a passenger train derailed and its cars fell on the opposite track. Railway authorities also announced compensation for victims.
"The derailed coaches hit another passenger train, throwing a few coaches of the second train off the track," he said, adding a freight train was also involved.
A survivor, who was onboard the train, said he was asleep when it derailed.
"Ten to 15 passengers fell on my body," he told reporters. "When I came out of the coach, I found someone was without limbs, foot and someone had face injuries as well."
"We were jolted and suddenly saw the train bogie turn on one side. Many of us were thrown out of the compartment by the momentum of the derailment. When we managed to crawl out, we found bodies lying all around," Pijush Poddar from West Bengal state told the Press Trust of India news agency.
The report said the Balasore district hospital "looked like a war zone."
Shortly after the accident, residents rushed to the hospital to donate blood. Odisha Chief Secretary Pradeep Jena said 500 units of blood were collected overnight in Balasore.
India's South Eastern Railway announced the cancellation and diversions of several trains.
The state's information and public relations department said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik ordered a one-day mourning period.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted: "Distressed by the train accident in Odisha. In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with the bereaved families. May the injured recover soon."
India has experienced large train accidents. In 2016, more than 140 passengers were killed after a train derailed in northern Uttar Pradesh state.