SPAIN – At least 39 killed after high-speed trains collide in southern Spain
At least 39 people were killed and dozens more injured after two trains collided and derailed near the town of Adamuz in Spain’s Córdoba province on Sunday evening. Emergency services confirmed that 75 people were taken to hospital, with 12 in intensive care.
The crash occurred at around 7.40pm when a high-speed Iryo train travelling from Málaga to Madrid derailed and crossed onto an adjacent track, according to Adif, Spain’s rail infrastructure authority. The train struck an oncoming Renfe service heading from Madrid to Huelva. Both trains left the tracks, with the Renfe train plunging down an embankment.
Approximately 300 passengers were on board at the time of the accident, carriages six to eight were most severely affected. The company stated that all emergency protocols were immediately activated and that it was cooperating fully with Adif, Renfe, and government authorities.
By Monday morning, Andalucía’s emergency services reported that 122 people had received medical treatment, while 48 remained hospitalised. Rescue teams, including firefighters, police, and medical personnel, worked throughout the night at the scene.
Córdoba fire chief Paco Carmona said evacuation of the Iryo train was completed within hours, but rescue operations on the Renfe train were far more complex due to extensive damage. Twisted metal and crushed seating made access difficult, and some passengers remained trapped for hours.
“There are still people trapped in very narrow spaces,” Carmona said, adding that bodies had to be removed to reach potential survivors.
Transport minister Óscar Puente said the cause of the accident had not yet been determined. Speaking at Madrid’s Atocha station, he described it as “highly unusual” that a derailment occurred on a straight section of track that had been renovated earlier this year. He noted that most fatalities and serious injuries were concentrated in the first two carriages of the Renfe train.
Rail services between Madrid and Andalucía have been suspended. The disaster is among Spain’s deadliest rail accidents in recent years, recalling the 2013 Galicia crash in which 80 people were killed.
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