At least 39 people were killed and more than 120 others injured on Sunday evening after a high-speed train derailed and collided with another service in southern Spain, in what authorities described as the country’s deadliest rail disaster in more than a decade.
The crash occurred near Adamuz in the Andalusia region when a high-speed train operated by private rail company Iryo, travelling from Malaga to Madrid, derailed and crossed onto an adjacent track, colliding with an oncoming train heading to Huelva. Both trains subsequently derailed.
Spain’s Transport Minister, Oscar Puente, said the death toll was provisional and could still rise. He described the incident as “extremely strange,” noting that the derailment happened on a straight section of track that had been fully renovated.
“This is a very difficult accident to explain,” Puente told reporters, adding that the derailed train was “practically new” and had undergone its most recent inspection on January 15.
The interior ministry said around 123 people were injured in the crash, including five in very critical condition and 24 seriously wounded. Iryo said about 300 passengers were on board its service at the time of the accident. Renfe, the operator of the second train, has not disclosed the number of passengers it was carrying.
Emergency services worked through the night to rescue passengers trapped inside twisted and mangled carriages. Firefighters described the operation as extremely challenging due to the severity of the wreckage.
“The carriages are deformed, with metal twisted around people inside,” said Francisco Carmona, head of firefighters in Cordoba. “In some cases, we had to remove bodies to reach survivors. It has been hard, tricky work.”
Passengers recounted scenes of chaos and fear following the collision. Montse, a passenger on the second train, told Spanish public television that the train jolted violently before coming to a complete stop and plunging into darkness.
“People were thrown around, luggage fell everywhere, and children were crying,” she said. “I was in the last carriage. I feel like I was given a second chance at life.”
Another survivor, Lucas Meriako, who was travelling on the Iryo train, described the experience as “like a horror movie,” saying many passengers were injured by shattered glass after a powerful impact from behind.
The accident is Spain’s deadliest rail crash since 2013, when 80 people were killed after a train derailed near Santiago de Compostela.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he would visit the crash site later on Monday, describing the incident as a moment of “deep pain” for the country. King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia also expressed their condolences to the victims’ families, while international leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, sent messages of sympathy.
Spain has Europe’s largest high-speed rail network, spanning more than 3,000 kilometres and linking major cities such as Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Valencia and Malaga. An investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing.
AFP
