Emergency services in the South Korean capital Seoul have mounted a rescue operation after two subway trains collided.

It’s understood dozens of passengers have been injured though first reports suggest they are not seriously hurt.

Witnesses say a train was hit in the rear by an incoming one when it was leaving a station. One carriage was derailed and passengers walked a short distance along the tracks to the station, media sources said.

One passenger claimed an onboard announcement initially told passengers to stay inside, but most people ignored it and forced the doors open to escape.

The accident comes just two weeks after a South Korean ferry sank leaving 300 dead or missing in the country’s worst disaster in 20 years.