Two high-speed trains derailed in Adamuz, near Cordoba, in southern Spain on Sunday, railway operator Adif confirmed, killing at least 39, police confirmed.
Emergency services arrived at the incident site, the operator commented.
High-speed train services between Madrid and Andalusia (the southern Spanish state) have been suspended due to the incident, Adif noted.
One of the trains, traveling from Malaga to Puerta de Atocha Station in Madrid, derailed, encroaching on the adjacent track, the operator said.
The other train, traveling in the opposite direction from Puerta de Atocha to Huelva, was then derailed.
Iryo is a private rail operator, majority-owned by the Italian state-controlled railway group Ferrovie dello Stato. The train involved was a Freccia 1000 train, which was traveling between Malaga and Madrid, a spokesperson for Ferrovie dello Stato said.
A 'horrific scene'
The company said in a statement that it deeply regretted what had happened and had activated all emergency protocols to work closely with the relevant authorities to manage the situation.
The second train was operated by Renfe, which also did not respond to a request for comment.
The Iryo train had more than 300 passengers on board, while the Renfe train had around 100.
Paco Carmona, Cordoba fire chief, told TVE the first train heading to Madrid from Malaga had been evacuated.
The other train's carriages were badly damaged, he said, with twisted metal and seats. "There are still people trapped. We don't know how many people have died, and the operation is concentrating on getting people out of areas which are very narrow," he said. "We have to remove the bodies to reach anyone who is still alive. It is proving to be a complicated task."
Transport Minister Oscar Puente said he was following events from rail operator Adif's headquarters in Madrid.
"The latest information is very serious," he posted on X. "The impact was terrible, causing the first two carriages of the Renfe train to be thrown off the track. The number of victims cannot be confirmed at this time. The most important thing now is to help the victims."
The mayor of Adamuz, Rafael Moreno, told El País newspaper that he had been among the first to arrive at the scene of the accident alongside the local police and saw what he believed to be a badly lacerated body several meters from the accident site.
"The scene is horrific," he said. "I don't think they were on the same track, but it's not clear. Now the mayors and residents of the area are focused on helping the passengers."