At least four people were killed and more than 100 injured when two trains collided in central Pakistan early yesterday, officials said.

The accident occurred near the city of Multan around 2.30am when the Karachi-bound Awami Express passenger train rammed into a goods train which had stopped after running over a man.

"At least four people have been killed and scores wounded," local district administration official Nadir Chattha told reporters.

Local state-run rescue service spokesman Abdul Jabbar told AFP the number of injured people exceeded 100.

TV footage showed rescue officials working around crumpled and overturned carriages in the darkness.

Several trapped passengers had to be extricated from the carriages.

Railway official Saima Bashir blamed the accident on the passenger train driver, saying he failed to heed a red signal that went up after the goods train stopped.