At Least 39 Killed in High-Speed Train Collision in Spain

At least 39 people were killed and more than 100 injured on Sunday evening when two high-speed passenger trains collided near the town of Adamuz in southern Spain, authorities said. Dozens of the injured were hospitalized as emergency crews worked through the night to reach trapped passengers in mangled train cars.

The crash occurred near Adamuz, in the province of Córdoba, involving a train operated by the private company Iryo traveling from Málaga to Madrid and a Renfe service traveling from Madrid to Huelva. Roughly 400 passengers and crew members were on board the two trains combined.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said he was “very concerned” by the incident and canceled his public engagements to monitor the response. In a statement, Sánchez said the government was working closely with emergency services and relevant authorities to assist victims and their families.

According to Spanish officials, the Iryo train derailed for reasons that remain unclear and crossed onto an adjacent track, where it collided with the oncoming Renfe train. The force of the impact caused both trains to derail, with several Renfe train cars pushed off the tracks and down a nearby embankment. The collision occurred on a straight section of track that had recently undergone renovation.

Rescue operations were complicated by the extensive damage to the Renfe train cars, where most of the fatalities were reported. Emergency teams used heavy machinery to cut through twisted metal and reach passengers trapped in confined spaces. “We have to remove bodies to reach potential survivors,” the Córdoba fire chief said, describing the challenges faced by first responders at the scene. 

Andalusian regional president Juanma Moreno said the scale of the impact was severe and warned that the death toll could rise. “The violence of the impact was extreme, it is likely that more victims will be discovered,” he said as rescue efforts continued.

Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente described the crash as “extremely strange” and confirmed that a full investigation has been launched. Puente said it was still too early to explain how the derailment occurred and expressed hope that investigators would be able to clarify the sequence of events in the coming weeks. Officials have said determining the cause could take at least a month.

Rail services between Madrid and Andalusia were suspended following the crash and were expected to remain closed throughout Monday, disrupting one of Spain’s busiest transport corridors. Adif, the state-owned company that manages Spain’s rail infrastructure, said it was coordinating with emergency services and train operators and had opened several major stations to assist relatives of victims.

The Spanish Red Cross established a support center in Adamuz, while hospitals across the Córdoba area activated emergency protocols in preparation for an influx of patients. Medical officials said healthcare teams were mobilized on a large scale to treat the injured.

Spain’s Civil Guard said the collision was the country’s deadliest rail disaster in more than a decade. Rescue and recovery operations were still underway late Monday, with authorities cautioning that casualty figures could change as access to damaged train cars continues and victims are formally identified.