At least five people have died and dozens more injured after a passenger train derailed in the US city of Philadelphia.

The Amtrak train was travelling from Washington to New York on Tuesday evening when it derailed in the Port Richmond neighbourhood of Philadelphia, shortly after leaving the city’s main station.

More than 240 people were on board the 10 carriage 188 Train, and emergency services and still searching for any remaining survivors trapped beneath the wreckage.

Philadelphia mayor, Michael Nutter, said 65 people have been taken to hospital after the accident, six of them critically injured.

It is not know what caused the derailment.

The National Transportation Safety Board has launched a “go-team” to investigate the accident, which will arrive at the scene in the coming hours.