At least 10 people were killed in a train crash in central Spain on Wednesday morning, local authorities have confirmed.
“The information we are receiving is not good at all,” a spokeswoman for the government of the Castilla-La Mancha region told local media. “There are at least 10 dead and it is possible that the number will increase.”
“There has been a collision between two trains [and] there are injured people,” added Manuel Galans, mayor of the town of Urda in the province of Toledo, near to where the incident took place just after 9am local time.
The mayor of another nearby village, Jesus Perez of Los Yebenes, told Spanish TV that the accident appeared “serious.”
Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia told local broadcaster TVE that it was a “high impact accident, it will be a major tragedy” but said it was too soon to confirm a final casualty figure.
“We don’t just need help from nearby hospitals, we need nearby hospitals that have ICU beds,” she added.
The cause of the collision was not immediately known, but initial reports suggested one train had slammed into the back of another train which had been stationary.
Images from the scene showed at least two severely damaged train carriages flipped over on their side after tumbling down an embankment.
One of the trains, operated by AVE, was reportedly carrying 397 passengers while the other, operated by IRYO, had 146 people on board, according to the Castilla-La Mancha local government spokeswoman.
A reporter for local broadcaster TVE described scenes of “absolute chaos” and a constant stream of ambulances and emergency vehicles.
El Pais cited witnesses describing numerous injuries and arrival of emergency medical teams at the scene.
“All resources are currently being deployed,” spokesperson for the Spanish emergency services told the AFP news agency, including “several fire crews, three helicopters, and two mobile intensive care units.”
In a post on social media, rail operator Adif confirmed that “traffic on the Madrid-Andalusia high-speed rail line has been suspended following a rear-end collision between two trains.”
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he was “shocked” by the “serious” accident.
“Emergency services are working on the ground to assist those affected and ensure their safety, in coordination with all the involved administrations,” he wrote on social media. “My affection, solidarity and support to all the victims and their families.”
It’s not the first train crash in Spain this year. In January, 45 people died when a train jumped the track and hit an oncoming train.