Spain train disaster: High-speed train collision kills 21, leaves dozens trapped

 

A devastating collision between two high-speed trains in southern Spain left at least 21 people dead and around 100 injured on Sunday evening, after one train derailed and crashed into another near the town of Adamuz in Córdoba province, police and state broadcaster RTVE said.

The accident involved an Iryo high-speed service travelling from Málaga to Madrid and a Renfe-operated train heading from Madrid to Huelva. Police confirmed the death toll to Reuters, while RTVE reported that at least 25 of the injured were in a serious condition.

The driver of the Renfe train was among those killed, RTVE said.

Over 400 passengers on board in both trains

Spain’s rail infrastructure manager Adif said the crash occurred at around 6:40 pm local time, roughly 10 minutes after the Iryo train had departed Córdoba for Madrid.

“The Iryo 6189 Málaga–Madrid train derailed at Adamuz and crossed onto an adjacent track,” Adif said in a social media post. “The Madrid–Huelva high-speed train travelling on that track also derailed as a result.”

The Iryo train was carrying more than 300 passengers, while the Renfe service had around 100 people on board.

Emergency ops on

Emergency services, including firefighters, police, paramedics and the Red Cross, were rushed to the remote crash site, where rescue operations continued through the night. Several passengers remained trapped inside mangled carriages for hours.

Paco Carmona, Córdoba’s fire chief, said the evacuation of the Iryo train had been completed, but conditions inside the Renfe carriages were far more severe.

“There are still people trapped. We don’t know how many people have died,” Carmona told TVE. “We have to remove bodies to reach anyone who may still be alive. It is proving to be a very complicated task.”

Hospitals across Madrid and Andalusia were placed on emergency alert, while authorities set up a reception centre in Adamuz, a town of about 5,000 residents. 

Authorities take note

Transport Minister Oscar Puente said he was monitoring developments from Adif’s headquarters in Madrid.

“The latest information is very serious,” Puente wrote on X. “The impact was terrible, causing the first two carriages of the Renfe train to be thrown off the track. The most important thing now is to help the victims.”

(With inputs from agencies)