20 killed in Italy train crash

Twenty people have been killed and dozens more hurt in a head-on collision involving two passenger trains in southern Italy, officials say.

The two trains were on a single-track line at the time of the crash, between the coastal towns of Bari and Barletta.

Emergency services are trying to free passengers from wrecked carriages near the town of Andria, BBC reports.

One of those rescued from the wreckage was a small child, who was airlifted to hospital.

It was unclear what led to the collision, which happened in good weather at 11:30 local time (09:30 GMT) in the southern region of Apulia.

A local prosecutor in nearby Trani said it was too early to speculate on the cause, although human error was likely to have been a factor.

Local authorities have appealed for blood donors to come forward.

The number of people that were on the trains was also not immediately available.

Italian reports said one of the trains had come from Andria, and the other from Corato, a short distance to the south-east. Both were travelling at high speed.