At least 21 people were killed on Sunday after a high-speed train derailed and collided with another oncoming train in southern Spain, pushing one of the trains off the tracks and down an embankment, according to police sources cited by Reuters.
The accident occurred near Adamuz in Córdoba province, about 360 kilometres south of Madrid. Regional authorities said 75 people were hospitalised, with 15 in serious condition, raising fears that the death toll could increase.
Juanma Moreno, head of Andalusia’s regional government, said rescue workers were still searching the wreckage and warned that more bodies could be found as daylight and heavy equipment allowed access to crushed sections of the trains.
“The force of the crash was very strong,” Moreno said, adding that recovery efforts were complicated by twisted metal and severely damaged carriages.
The collision involved an Iryo-operated high-speed train travelling from Málaga to Madrid and a Renfe Alvia train heading from Madrid to Huelva. Rail network operator Adif said the Iryo train derailed onto an adjacent track, where it struck the Renfe train.
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Spanish media reported that the Renfe train was travelling at about 200 kilometres per hour at the time of impact. It remains unclear how fast the Iryo train was moving when it derailed. Transport Minister Óscar Puente said the cause of the derailment was still unknown, describing it as “really strange” given that the track section was straight and had been renewed in May.
Most of the fatalities and serious injuries were concentrated in the first two carriages of the Renfe train, which plunged down the railway embankment after the collision, Puente said.
There were around 400 passengers on both trains combined. The Iryo train, carrying more than 300 passengers, was evacuated within hours, while rescue teams continued to work through the heavily damaged Renfe carriages late into the night.
Emergency officials said some passengers were still trapped several hours after the crash. Córdoba fire chief Paco Carmona told Spanish television that rescuers had to remove bodies to reach survivors in narrow, crushed compartments.
Passengers described scenes of panic as the trains collided. One survivor told Spanish broadcaster TVE that people screamed as luggage fell from overhead racks, while others used emergency hammers to smash windows and escape.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez cleared his schedule on Monday to address the disaster, while Spain’s King and Queen were briefed on developments. Rail services between Madrid and Andalusia were suspended as investigations continued.
Iryo, a private rail operator majority-owned by Italy’s state-controlled Ferrovie dello Stato, said it deeply regretted the incident and had activated emergency protocols. Renfe said it was supporting passengers and families as rescue operations continued.
