At Least 39 Killed As High-Speed Trains Collide In Southern Spain
At least 39 people have been killed and dozens more injured following a devastating high-speed train collision in southern Spain, marking the country’s deadliest rail disaster in more than a decade, according to Spain’s Civil Guard.
The crash occurred near Adamuz, close to the city of Córdoba, when a Madrid-bound train derailed on a straight section of track and crossed into the opposite line, colliding head-on with an oncoming train travelling from Madrid to Huelva.
Rail authorities confirmed that about 400 passengers and staff were onboard both trains at the time of the collision. Emergency services in Andalusia said at least 73 people were taken to hospital, including 24 in serious condition. Four children are among the critically injured.
Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente described the incident as “extremely strange” as authorities launched a full-scale investigation into the cause of the crash.
“All the railway experts consulted so far are baffled by what happened,” Puente told reporters in Madrid.
Rail infrastructure operator Adif said the collision occurred at 7:45pm local time, roughly an hour after the Málaga-to-Madrid train departed. The force of the impact pushed several carriages of the second train into an embankment, with most of the fatalities and serious injuries recorded in the front coaches.
The trains involved included a Freccia 1000, a high-speed model capable of reaching speeds of up to 400km/h, according to the Italian rail company Ferrovie dello Stato.
Rescue workers described chaotic scenes as twisted metal made access to trapped passengers extremely difficult. Córdoba fire chief Francisco Carmona said emergency teams were forced to remove bodies to reach survivors.
“It is hard and very delicate work,” he told public broadcaster RTVE.
Eyewitnesses said the crash felt catastrophic. A journalist travelling on one of the trains described the impact as feeling “like an earthquake,” while other passengers reported screaming and frantic calls for medical help.
Footage from the scene showed multiple carriages overturned, with rescue teams climbing onto their sides to evacuate passengers through broken doors and windows.
All rail services between Madrid and Andalusia were immediately suspended and are expected to remain closed throughout Monday.
Private rail operator Iryo said around 300 passengers were onboard the derailed Málaga–Madrid train, while state-owned operator Renfe confirmed about 100 passengers were travelling on the second train.
The official cause of the collision remains unknown, and investigators say a full report may take at least one month to complete.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the country was facing “a night of deep pain,” while King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia expressed their condolences to the victims’ families.
International leaders, including France’s President Emmanuel Macron, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, also sent messages of sympathy.
Spain last experienced a rail tragedy of similar scale in 2013, when a high-speed train derailed in Galicia, killing 80 people.