At least 39 people have been killed and dozens injured following a collision involving two high-speed trains in southern Spain, in what authorities have described as the country’s deadliest rail accident in more than a decade.
According to the Spain’s Civil Guard, the crash occurred on Sunday, January 18, near the town of Adamuz in Córdoba province.
A Madrid-bound train derailed and crossed onto the opposite track, where it collided with an oncoming train travelling from Madrid to Huelva.
Rail operators said about 400 passengers and staff were on board both trains combined.
Emergency services treated 122 people at the scene, with 48 remaining in hospital, including five children.
Twelve of those hospitalised 11 adults and one child are reported to be in intensive care.
The collision happened at about 7:45pm local time, roughly an hour after the train departed Málaga for Madrid, according to rail infrastructure operator Adif. The derailment occurred on a straight section of track.
Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente described the incident as “extremely strange” and said experts were baffled by how it happened.
Puente said the force of the impact pushed the carriages of the second train into an embankment, adding that most of the fatalities and serious injuries were in the front carriages of that train.
The trains involved included a Freccia 1000 model, capable of speeds of up to 400km/h, according to the Italian rail company Ferrovie dello Stato.
Rescue efforts continued late into the night, with emergency teams working through twisted wreckage to reach trapped passengers.
Córdoba fire chief Francisco Carmona said rescuers faced difficult conditions, noting that access to survivors was severely restricted by the damage.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic following the collision. Salvador Jimenez, a journalist travelling on one of the trains, said the impact felt like an earthquake.
Other passengers reported screaming and calls for medical assistance as carriages derailed and tipped onto their sides.
All rail services between Madrid and Andalusia were suspended following the crash and are expected to remain closed throughout Monday.
Private rail operator Iryo said about 300 passengers were on the Málaga–Madrid train, while state-owned Renfe said the other train carried around 100 passengers.
The cause of the accident has not yet been determined.
The transport minister said a full investigation had begun but may take at least a month to reach conclusions.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described the incident as a “night of deep pain” for the country.
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia expressed their condolences to the families of the victims and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
Emergency medical posts were set up near the crash site, while rail authorities established support centres for relatives at major stations including Madrid’s Atocha, Seville, Córdoba, Málaga and Huelva.
The Spanish Red Cross also deployed counselling and emergency support services for affected families.
Messages of sympathy were sent by several European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Spain operates the second-largest high-speed rail network in the world, after China.
The last major high-speed rail disaster in the country occurred in 2013, when a derailment in Galicia killed 80 people and injured more than 140.