At least 39 people were injured in the early hours of Wednesday after a head-on collision between two trains in southern Mozambique, the Ports and Railways of Mozambique (CFM) said in a statement.

The accident occurred on the Ressano Garcia line, in Maputo province, involving a freight train and a passenger train.

The injured were rushed to the hospital for treatment. "CFM deeply regrets what happened and wishes a quick and complete recovery to the affected passengers and crew," the statement said.

A commission of inquiry was created to investigate the cause of the accident, it added.