At least 39 killed after high-speed train collision in Spain, transport minister says

(ADAMUZ, Spain) -- At least 39 people were killed and about 152 others were injured after two high-speed trains collided in southern Spain, according to officials.

A train traveling from Málaga to Madrid on Sunday derailed near Adamuz, crossing over to the adjacent track where it hit another train coming from Madrid to Huelva, according to the Spanish Interior Minister.

Forty-eight of the injured remain hospitalized on Monday, including 12 in the intensive care unit, said regional President of Andalusia, Juan Manuel Moreno.

He said rescue crews are working through difficult conditions to try to reach the train carriages, where more victims could be inside.

While the number of confirmed dead stands at 39, that is "not final," Oscar Puente, the Spanish transport minister, said in a statement early on Monday.

"I want to express all my gratitude for the huge effort of the rescue teams during the night, under very difficult circumstances, and my condolences to the victims and their families in these terribly painful moments," he said in Spanish on social media.

The cause of the train derailment has not been released.

Iryo, the company operating the train that initially derailed, released a statement, saying the company "deeply regrets what has happened and has activated all emergency protocols, working closely with the competent authorities to manage the situation."

The company said there were 300 passengers on the train at the time.

Puente, the transport minister, said the high-speed Iryo train was "relatively new."

Puente said the derailment of the Iryo train bound for Madrid and its subsequent collision with the second train happened on a straight stretch of track, which had undergone extensive renovation work that was only finished in May.

The Spanish minister called the accident "extremely strange."

"It’s very difficult at this moment to explain," Puente added, and said he hoped the investigation would help clear up what has happened.

ABC News' Joe Simonetti contributed to this report.

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