Two trains have collided in Spain just south of the capital Madrid on Wednesday morning.

Rail operator Adif says the incident occurred between a Renfe train and another of the Iryo company, which covers the Madrid to Seville route.

So far at least 68 people are confirmed to have died in the incident.

The two trains collided just after 09:00 (08:00 GMT) between municipalities Mora and Orgaz, and about 140km (100 miles) south of Madrid.

The accident happened when a high-speed train travelling from Madrid to the south of the country collided with another train that was apparently stationary. The crash caused at least two carriages to fall down an embankment.

Broadcaster RTVE, quoting the transport ministry, said a Renfe train rear-ended an Iryo train.

Renfe is Spain's national state-owned railway company while Iryo is a private high-speed railway operator.

All train traffic on this line has been stopped at stations along the route, Adif said.

Renfe said services between Madrid, Ciudad Real and Andalusia remain suspended.

A passenger on board one of the trains told local media there was a heavy impact about 40 minutes into the journey.

Iryo said its train was "struck from behind" by a Renfe train "due to causes that are still unknown.

Transport minister Oscar Puente has said a computer failure led to the initial halt of six moving trains, including the two trains that subsequently collided.

"In the event of a system failure, the control centre takes over," he said, adding it was the control centre which decided to allow the trains to move again, without any speed restrictions.

That decision, Puente said, was made "under inexplicable circumstances". It resulted in the Renfe train crashing into the Iryo train, which was stationary on the tracks further ahead.

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Aerial footage shows the extent of the damage and the emergency response

More than 500 people were believed to be on board both trains.

Esther Padilla, spokesperson for the government of Castilla-La Mancha region, told TVE that one of the trains - managed by the Iryo company - was carrying 146 passengers plus one baby, while the Renfe-managed train had 397 passengers on board.

A former government minister was also among those reported missing.

The Spanish Confederation of Business Organizations (CEOE) posted on X that, Fátima Báñez - who heads the organization's foundation - was on board one of the trains involved in the crash.

The Castilla La Mancha regional government said 64 people are now confirmed to have died.

Speaking separately to Spanish media, he warned the death toll could increase further.

Eighty people are being treated for injuries, according to authorities, with 50 of the casualties said to be in a serious condition, and 15 more in a critical condition.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has said "the whole of Spain is grieving" and that "lives have been shattered, families have been torn apart".

"The pain is immense," he said on a visit to the crash site.

The government was "trying to determine what was the origin of this tragedy, of this terrible accident," he added.

"We will get to the bottom of this, and if there has been any negligence, it will come to light.

"If there have been failures in the security system, they will be addressed with the utmost firmness."

Sánchez and other Spanish politicians have cancelled all public engagements on Wednesday, including campaigning for next month's parliamentary elections.

Spain's royal family posted on X that it was "shocked and concerned" and expressed condolences for the relatives of the deceased and those affected by the crash.

A spokesperson for the EU said the bloc was ready to help Spain if needed.

A huge emergency response is under way with fire crews and helicopters at the scene.

Hospitals in the area have suspended planned surgeries as they deal with an influx of patients from the crash, Spanish media have reported.

A blood transfusion centre in Madrid has also appealed for "urgent" donations. In a post on X, Centro de Transfusión said it made the request "in the face of a possible sudden increase in care needs".

It reported that facilities in Toledo, Ciudad Real and Alcázar de San Juan have cancelled procedures as casualties from the crash begin to arrive.

This is the second high-speed rail tragedy in Spain this year.

In January a high-speed train derailed in southern Spain, its rear carriages going into the path of a state-run Renfe train, claiming the lives of 46 people.

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