At least 21 people have been killed after two high-speed trains collided in southern Spain, authorities say.

Spain’s ADIF rail body said in a post on X that a train travelling on Sunday from coastal Malaga to the capital, Madrid, derailed near Adamuz, crossing onto the other track. It crashed into an oncoming train, which also derailed.

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Spain’s Interior Ministry said that at least 21 people were confirmed dead. Andalusia’s emergency services had earlier said that 25 people were “seriously” injured. Five mobile intensive care units, four emergency critical care units and numerous ambulances were deployed to the site of the crash.

The on-site services were focused on stabilising the injured before transferring them to hospitals, Juanma Moreno, president of Andalusia’s regional government, wrote on social media late Sunday.

“Our solidarity and support to all those affected,” he added.

ADIF personnel were also coordinating with emergency services on the ground.

Trains travelling from the Andalusia region to Madrid have been suspended, with services from Cordoba, Sevilla, Malaga and Huelva expected to be unavailable through “at least” Monday, the rail body said.

Salvador Jimenez, a journalist for the state-run broadcaster RTVE, told the digital outlet Informacion that he had been on board the Malaga train.

The train’s last two carriages derailed, he said, with the final carriage turning fully onto its side as it landed on the tracks.

It felt like the train was experiencing an “earthquake” in the moments before the crash, Jimenez said.

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