Spain high-speed train crash kills 39, toll may rise as rescue teams search wreckage

At least 39 people have died in a devastating high-speed train collision in southern Spain, with authorities warning the toll could climb as rescue teams sift through the mangled wreckage, as per reported by The Associated Press.

The crash occurred Sunday evening near Adamuz, in the Cordoba region, when a train from Malaga to Madrid derailed and collided with an oncoming train, according to rail operator Adif.

Andalusia’s regional president Juanma Moreno described the scene as a “mass of twisted metal,” saying some victims were found hundreds of meters from the site. “It is likely we will find more victims,” he added, as heavy machinery was deployed to lift carriages.

Authorities said all survivors were rescued by Monday morning, but recovery efforts continue. DNA testing is being used to identify some victims, and Spain’s Civil Guard has set up support offices in five cities. At least 159 people were injured, including 12 in critical condition.

Passengers recounted breaking windows to escape. “The carriages were twisted… we had to remove the dead to get to the living,” said firefighter chief Francisco Carmona. Journalist Salvador Jiménez, who was aboard one of the trains, called the scene “harrowing.”

Transport Minister Óscar Puente said the crash site was a flat, recently renovated section of track. “Human error could be ruled out,” he said, citing possible mechanical or infrastructure failure. An investigation is underway and could take a month.

The Iryo-operated train, built in 2022, had passed a safety check just days earlier. Renfe operated the second train. Both were traveling below the speed limit.

Sunday’s collision is the first fatal accident on Spain’s high-speed rail network since its inception in 1992. Flags flew at half-mast as the nation mourned, with King Felipe VI and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expected to visit the site.