In addition to the fatalities, at least 73 people were injured in the train accident that occurred near Adamuz in southern Spain on Sunday, the BBC reports. Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente said 30 people have serious injuries.
The accident occurred when one of the trains derailed and crashed into an oncoming train on an adjacent track. The rear of the first train is said to have hit the second train, which then also derailed. The incident occurred at around 7:45 p.m. local time.
Around 300 passengers are believed to have been on one of the trains, and around 100 on the other. Overnight into Monday, Spanish authorities said that emergency services had managed to get all the injured people out of the two trains.
It is unclear what caused the incident and Transport Minister Óscar Puente calls the accident "strange" because it occurred on a flat stretch of track that was renovated as recently as May.
Witnesses at the scene reported shortly after the accident that passengers on board were seriously injured.
"We have received calls from people saying that there are passengers on board who are injured and trapped," a spokesperson for Andalusia's rescue service said during the evening.
The train accident occurred on the main line between Madrid and Malaga in Andalusia. Spanish train company Renfe has canceled all trips between Madrid and parts of southern Spain.
Adamuz is located in the province of Córdoba, and just under forty kilometers from the city of Córdoba.
