Death toll from high-speed train collision in Spain rises to 39, RTVE reports

The death toll from Sunday's collision between a derailing high-speed train and a second oncoming train in southern Spain has risen to 39, with 152 people injured, state broadcaster RTVE reported on Monday, citing police sources.

The accident happened at 7:45 pm local time (1845 GMT) on Sunday near Adamuz in the province of Cordoba, about 360 km south of the capital Madrid.

Over 200 trains between Madrid and the southern Andalucia region - including major cities Cordoba, Seville and Granada - have been cancelled throughout Monday, according to RTVE.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has cleared out his agenda for the day, his office said in a statement on Monday.

Video from the scene shared on social media on Sunday showed rescuers pulling passengers from twisted carriages lying on their side under the glare of floodlights. Some passengers climbed out of smashed windows, while others were wheeled away on stretchers.

There were around 400 passengers on the two trains, most of them Spaniards travelling back to and from Madrid after the weekend. It was unclear how many tourists could be onboard as January is not holiday season in Spain.

The cause for the crash is not yet known, Spanish Transport Minister Oscar Puente told reporters at a press conference at Atocha station in Madrid on Sunday.