A head-on collision between two trains in Spain killed 39 people and injured 152, half of the latter hospitalized, "15 in very serious condition and five in life-threatening condition," ABC News reported, citing government officials.

The death toll rose from a previous estimate of 21 and the current toll could rise again, transport minister Oscar Puente said, thanking "the huge effort of the rescue teams during the night, under very difficult circumstances," and offering "condolences to the victims and their families in these terribly painful moments."

The derailment, whose cause has not been released, happened to a train traveling from Málaga to Madrid on a straight stretch of track whose extensive renovations were less than a year old, Puente said. It crossed over to the adjoining near Adamuz, hitting a train coming from Madrid to Huelva, interior minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska Gómez said.

The company operating the derailed train, Iryo, said about 300 passengers were aboard. It has "activated all emergency protocols, working closely with the competent authorities to manage the situation."