The death toll from a train collision in Spain has risen to 69 as emergency workers continue searching the wreckage for more victims.

The crash occurred on Wednesday morning in the central Spanish region of Castilla-La Mancha when a train operated by state-owned Renfe rammed into the rear of a stationary train belonging to private operator Iryo.

Rescue workers searched through twisted metal and wreckage overnight along the major railway line linking Madrid with Seville, using cranes to lift mangled train components in a desperate effort to locate survivors and recover bodies.

Sniffer dogs and thermal drones were deployed at the crash site near the village of Urda on Thursday to assist the search, according to the regional government.

Among the survivors was 31-year-old Peruvian tourist Josimar Medina, who was holidaying in Spain with his girlfriend.Medina said he had been sleeping aboard the Renfe train when the collision occurred.

Another survivor, 42-year-old Pablo Mejia, sustained head injuries but said a last-minute change of seat might have saved his life.

Wearing a bloodstained grey jumper and carrying a damaged suitcase, Mejia described the scene as chaotic, with passengers and seats thrown about by the impact.

“There was a very strong hit… a lot of people on the floor, on top of each other, seats ripped out, suitcases, a lot of chaos,” he said.