High-speed trains collide after one derails in southern Spain, killing at least 21

A devastating high-speed train collision in southern Spain has claimed at least 21 lives and left dozens injured, marking one of the country’s worst rail disasters in recent years.

The crash occurred Sunday evening near Adamuz in the Córdoba province when the rear section of a train traveling from Malaga to Madrid derailed and veered into the path of an oncoming train. The Madrid-to-Huelva service bore the brunt of the impact, with its front carriages knocked off the rails and down a 4-meter (13-foot) slope.

Transport Minister Óscar Puente confirmed the death toll after rescue workers cleared the wreckage of survivors, though he cautioned the number of casualties could rise. Andalusia regional President Juanma Moreno reported that 75 passengers were hospitalized, including 15 with serious injuries.

“We have a very difficult night ahead,” said Andalusia’s regional health chief Antonio Sanz, as emergency workers toiled through the night to recover bodies from the mangled carriages.

The crash involved two different operators. The derailed train, less than four years old, belonged to private company Iryo, while the second train was part of Spain’s public rail company Renfe. Approximately 300 passengers were aboard the first train, with around 200 on the second.

Rescue efforts were complicated by the remote location of the crash site. The Spanish Red Cross established a help center in nearby Adamuz, while Civil Guard and Civil Defense units worked at the scene. Spain’s military emergency relief units were also deployed to support the rescue operation.

Survivors described a terrifying experience. Salvador Jiménez, a journalist for Spanish broadcaster RTVE who was aboard one of the trains, told the network, “There was a moment when it felt like an earthquake and the train had indeed derailed.” Passengers used emergency hammers to break windows and escape the wreckage, with some crawling out of the damaged carriages.

Francisco Carmona, Córdoba’s firefighter chief, reported that at least four wagons were thrown off the rails, with one train severely damaged. Local residents responded by bringing blankets and water to assist victims.

Transport Minister Puente called the incident “truly strange,” noting it occurred on a flat stretch of track renovated just last month. He added that an inquiry into the cause could take up to a month to complete.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed his condolences on social media, writing: “Tonight is one of deep sadness for our country.” Spain’s King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia also shared their sympathy, as did European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

The disaster has disrupted Spain’s extensive rail network, with operator Adif announcing that train services between Madrid and cities in Andalusia would be suspended on Monday.

Spain boasts the largest high-speed rail network in Europe, with more than 3,100 kilometers (1,900 miles) of track capable of supporting trains traveling over 250 kph (155 mph). The system is widely regarded as safe and popular, with Renfe reporting that more than 25 million passengers used its high-speed services in 2024.

This tragedy represents Spain’s deadliest train accident since 2013, when 80 people died after a train derailed in the country’s northwest while traveling at more than twice the permitted speed limit.

As investigations begin into the cause of Sunday’s collision, the nation mourns those lost in what Spanish officials describe as an unusual and devastating rail disaster on a recently renovated section of track.