Kibera train crash
Rescuers at the scene of the crash in Nairobi, Kenya Kenya Red Cross

Rescue workers are trying to reach survivors after a cargo train came off the rails in the Nairobi shanty town of Kibera. No fatalities have yet been reported but rescuers are still removing debris from the scene and at least six injured people have been taken to hospital.

The train was apparently taking wheat from Kenya's capital to Uganda when it derailed as it passed through Kibera, where makeshift homes are often built close to the tracks.

The Kenyan Red Cross says "dozens" of people are feared trapped in their homes, according to an official tweet, but there is still some confusion about how many are still missing as there are suggestions that most locals were at church when the train derailed.

Rescue teams from the police and St John Ambulance are also at the scene, but some locals are unhappy at the speed of the response. Rescuers said it has been hard to access the crash site due to the sprawling nature of the suburb.

Speaking from the scene, Transport Minister Joseph Kamau explained that locals had been warned not to build their homes so close to the track: "We have always warned people against encroaching on the line."

Nairobi Police chief Benson Kibue said: "The rescue efforts are underway, we cannot talk of the number of those injured at the moment."

There have also been unconfirmed reports that fuel from a tanker attached to the train is leaking on to the tracks, potentially endangering the lives of rescuers and local people.