Two passenger trains have collided near Vienna, injuring several people.

The trains, one of them regional and the other local, collided near the station in Kritzendorf, north of the Austrian capital, a little before 6pm (1700 GMT).

Two cars turned over and a third was leaning to one side.

The point of impact appeared to be the sides of both trains, which were travelling in the same direction and then derailed.

Infrastructure minister Norbert Hofer told the Austria Press Agency that four people were slightly hurt and another four were more seriously injured.

A rescue helicopter took one person to a Vienna hospital with head injuries.

Austrian media, citing emergency services, had earlier put the number of injured at between 15 and 20.

"We suspect that the cause is to be found in human error, not in a technical defect, but that will be verified in the coming days," Mr Hofer said.

The trains were evacuated by shortly after 7.30pm local time.

Dozens were also injured yesterday in a commuter train crash in Spain.