At Least 39 Dead After High-Speed Train Collision in Southern Spain

ADAMUZ, Spain (Journos News) – Rescue teams in southern Spain are continuing to recover bodies following a high-speed train collision near Adamuz, in the province of Córdoba, that killed at least 39 people. Officials warned Monday that the death toll could rise as emergency crews search the wreckage and surrounding areas for additional victims. The crash, which occurred Sunday evening, involved two trains traveling between Madrid and southern cities, sending carriages tumbling down an embankment and scattering debris over hundreds of meters.

The collision, one of the deadliest in Spain’s high-speed rail history, left scores injured, with authorities reporting 159 people wounded, including 12 in critical condition. Local emergency services, supported by the Spanish Red Cross and the Civil Guard, established makeshift hospitals and help centers to assist survivors and the families of the missing.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed condolences on social media, describing the tragedy as “a night of deep pain for our country,” and is scheduled to visit the accident site on Monday.

Violent Impact and Recovery Efforts

The crash occurred around 7:45 p.m. local time when the tail end of an Iryo-operated train carrying 289 passengers derailed and collided with the head of a Renfe train carrying nearly 200 passengers. Transport Minister Óscar Puente said the front two carriages of the Renfe train bore the brunt of the impact, falling approximately 4 meters (13 feet) down a slope. Some victims were found hundreds of meters from the wreckage, reflecting the extreme force of the collision.

Andalusia regional president Juanma Moreno described the scene as “a mass of twisted iron” and emphasized that more bodies were likely to be discovered once heavy machinery could access the overturned carriages. Families of missing passengers have been submitting DNA samples in nearby Córdoba to assist in identification.

Video footage and photographs from the site showed overturned carriages under floodlights, while passengers described escaping through shattered windows, some using emergency hammers.

Investigation and Train Safety

Spanish authorities have described the accident as unusual. Minister Puente noted it occurred on a flat section of track recently renovated in May, and the derailed train, less than four years old, had passed a safety inspection on January 15. Both trains were reportedly operating below the speed limit of 250 kph, with speeds recorded at 205 and 210 kph. Officials said human error was unlikely, and initial focus is on the train equipment or track infrastructure.

Renfe President Álvaro Fernández stated that the incident “must be related to the moving equipment of Iryo or the infrastructure,” while Iryo confirmed full cooperation with the investigation and reiterated its condolences to victims’ families. Authorities said inquiries could take a month to determine the precise cause.

Disruption and Spain’s Rail Network

Train services between Madrid and Andalusian cities were canceled on Monday as the investigation continues. Spain operates Europe’s largest high-speed rail network, spanning over 3,100 kilometers (1,900 miles) of track capable of speeds above 250 kph (155 mph). The network has carried more than 25 million passengers in 2024 alone and is widely regarded as a safe, competitive mode of transport.

Sunday’s accident marks the first fatal incident on Spain’s high-speed network since its opening in 1992. The country’s previous major rail disaster occurred in 2013, when 80 people died after a train derailed while exceeding the speed limit on a conventional track in northwestern Spain.