Seventeen people have been killed and 120 others injured after an express train travelling to Taiwan’s south-east coast went off the tracks, officials said.

The Puyuma express train was carrying more than 300 passengers to Taitung city when it derailed at 4.50pm local time in the rural township of Tungshan, the transportation ministry’s railway administration said in a statement.

The 17 people died of cardiac arrest before they reached hospital.

The remaining injured are being treated in four different hospitals.

The train began its journey in New Taipei City in northern Taiwan.

The cause of the accident is being investigated.