Deadly High-Speed Train Collision In Spain Leaves 39 Dead, Dozens Injured

At least 39 people have been killed and dozens more injured following a devastating high-speed train collision in southern Spain, marking the country’s deadliest rail disaster in more than a decade, according to Spain’s Civil Guard. The crash occurred on Sunday evening near Adamuz, in the province of Córdoba, when a Madrid-bound train derailed on a straight section of track and crossed onto the opposite line, colliding with an oncoming train.

Rail authorities said around 400 passengers and staff were onboard both trains. Emergency teams treated 122 people, while 43, including four children, remain hospitalised. Among them, 12 adults and one child are in intensive care. Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente warned that the death toll “is not yet final,” adding that the circumstances surrounding the accident are “extremely strange” and have left railway experts “extremely baffled.”

The collision happened at 19:45 local time, about an hour after the train departed Málaga for Madrid. The impact forced the carriages of the second train into an embankment, with most casualties reported in the front sections of that southbound service travelling from Madrid to Huelva. The trains involved included a Freccia 1000 model, capable of speeds up to 400 km/h, according to Italy’s Ferrovie dello Stato.

Rescue workers faced significant challenges navigating the mangled wreckage to reach trapped passengers. Córdoba fire chief Francisco Carmona told RTVE: “We have even had to remove a dead person to be able to reach someone alive. It is hard, tricky work.” Journalist Salvador Jimenez, who was onboard one of the trains, described the moment of impact as feeling like an “earthquake,” adding: “There was a moment when it felt like an earthquake and the train had indeed derailed.”

Footage from the scene showed several carriages overturned, with rescue teams climbing over the wreckage to pull survivors through tilted doors and windows. One passenger, José, told Canal Sur: “There were people and screaming, calling for doctors.”

All rail services between Madrid and Andalusia were suspended following the crash and are expected to remain closed throughout Monday. Private operator Iryo said around 300 passengers were on the derailed train from Málaga, while the second train, run by state-owned Renfe, carried about 100 passengers.

The cause of the crash has not yet been determined, and investigators say it could take at least a month to establish what happened. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Spain would endure a “night of deep pain,” while Adamuz mayor Rafael Moreno described the scene as “a nightmare.” King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia said they were following developments “with great concern,” adding: “We extend our most heartfelt condolences to the relatives and loved ones of the dead, as well as our love and wishes for a swift recovery to the injured.”

Emergency medical posts were set up to treat victims and assist families, with Adif opening support centres at major stations including Atocha, Seville, Córdoba, Málaga and Huelva. The Spanish Red Cross also deployed emergency teams and counsellors. “The families are going through a situation of great anxiety due to the lack of information. These are very distressing moments,” said Red Cross official Miguel Ángel Rodríguez.

International leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, sent messages of condolence. “My thoughts are with the victims, their families and the entire Spanish people. France stands by your side,” Macron wrote.

Spain’s high-speed rail network, the second largest in the world after China, spans more than 4,000km and connects over 50 cities. The country last experienced a tragedy of similar scale in 2013, when a derailment in Galicia killed 80 people and injured 140 others.