At least 39 people have been confirmed dead, with dozens more injured, following a collision between two high-speed trains near Adamuz, Spain.
The accident happened on Sunday when a high-speed train operated by the private company Iryo, carrying 371 passengers from Málaga to Madrid, derailed. The rear three carriages of this train then collided with the front two carriages of another high-speed train traveling in the opposite direction, according to officials.
The second train, an Alvia service operated by state-owned rail company Renfe, was en route from Madrid to the southwestern city of Huelva. The impact caused both trains to overturn at speed, with some carriages plunging down an embankment, according to Spanish news agency EFE.
The driver of the Alvia train was among those killed, EFE reported, citing Renfe sources.
Emergency services reported that 73 people were injured and transferred to the hospital, including 24 in serious condition. Among the injured were four minors.
“The problem is that the carriages are deformed — the metal is twisted with people inside,” Francisco Carmona, Andalusia’s chief firefighter, told Spanish broadcaster RTVE in Spain.
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described the incident as a “night of deep pain” for the country, while European leaders sent messages of condolence. King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, who are currently in Athens attending a funeral, said they were following developments “with great concern” and expressed their sympathy to the victims’ families.
Andalusian Regional Government Health Minister Antonio Sanz warned that the situation remained complex and that the death toll could rise as rescue efforts continued.
Spain’s Transport Minister Óscar Puente said the cause of the crash was still unknown, calling the incident “extremely unusual.” He noted that the collision occurred on a straight section of track that had recently been renovated as part of a €700 million investment project and involved relatively new rolling stock.
“All the railway experts who have been here today, and those we have consulted, are extremely baffled by the accident,” Puente told Telecinco.
Iryo said it had activated emergency protocols and was cooperating fully with authorities. Renfe said it had deployed emergency services, psychological support teams, and information points for affected passengers and families.
High-speed rail services between Madrid and Andalusia have been suspended, while trains on the Seville–Madrid route are being redirected to their points of origin, infrastructure operator Adif said. Other commercial rail services, including routes between Madrid, Toledo, Ciudad Real, and Puertollano, are operating normally.
The disaster is Spain’s worst railway accident since 2013, when 79 people were killed and 144 injured after a train derailed near Santiago de Compostela in the northwestern region of Galicia.
Join Our Social Media Channels:
