Experts have been left “extremely baffled” by a high-speed train collision that killed at least 39 in Spain on Sunday, according to the country’s transport minister.
The trains had been travelling at a lower than average speed with the affected train having last been inspected just four days ago.
“It is truly strange. All the railway experts who have been here today… and those we have consulted are extremely baffled by the accident,” Oscar Puente told Spanish TV channel Telecinco.
At least 39 people were killed after a high-speed train derailed and crashed into an oncoming train, pushing it off the tracks.
There were around 400 passengers on board the two trains and dozens were injured in the incident. Of the 122 people hospitalised, 15 remained in serious condition, officials said early on Monday. Around 74 have been discharged.
The driver of one of the trains, which was travelling from Madrid to Huelva, was among those who died.
Key Points
- Death toll from Spanish train collision rises to 39
- Mapped: Where did the crash take place?
- Local hospitals prepare for influx of patients
- Spanish prime minister 'very concerned' about train crash
- Pictures from the scene of the crash
- EU Council president 'deeply shocked' by crash
Watch: Aerial footage shows aftermath of fatal Spain train crash that has 'baffled' investigators
12:40 , Maira ButtRescue mission 'complicated' by remote location, says Red Cross
12:25 , Maira ButtThe remote location of the crash complicated rescue operations, according to the Red Cross.
The site can only be accessed by a single-track road that makes it difficult for ambulances to enter and exit, national emergency director at the Spanish Red Cross, Iñigo Vila, told Reuters.
Spanish train driver's union warned operator 'daily' of damage to tracks
12:00 , Maira ButtA Spanish train drivers' union warned rail operator Adif of “severe” damage to the rail tracks where the trains collided, according to Reuters who saw a copy of the letter.
In a letter dated last August, the union warned of severe wear and tear on the rail tracks.
Potholes, bumps, and imbalances in overhead power lines were causing frequent breakdowns and damaging the trains, the letter, published on X and verified by a member of union Semaf to Reuters, read, adding drivers had notified the operator "daily" of their concerns but that no action was taken.
Adif did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Trains collided at over 120mph, say sources
11:35 , Maira ButtTwo high-speed trains at the centre of the collision in Spain that killed 39 people, were travelling at over 120mph, sources from the Spanish transport ministry told Sky News.
The Iryo train derailed first and was travelling at around 130mph while the second train was moving at approximately 127mph.
The incident took place in less than 30 seconds.
Watch: Footage from inside Spain’s high-speed train crash shows passengers trying to escape mangled carriages
11:14 , Maira ButtHolly Bishop reports:
Video from inside a derailed high-speed train captures passengers waiting to escape after a fatal crash that has claimed at least 39 lives.
The train travelling from Malaga to Madrid derailed and crashed onto the neighbouring track, colliding with an oncoming train in Adamuz, Spain on Sunday (18 January).
Eyewitness footage taken from inside one of the trains shows standing passengers waiting to be evacuated from the mangled wreckage.
There were around 300 passengers on board the two trains and dozens were injured in the incident, in Spain’s worst train crash in over a decade.
'The mobile phones of the dead would not stop ringing': Firefighters describe 'total chaos'
11:00 , Graham Keeley (in Madrid)Firefighters who reached the scene of the rail crash last night told of the scene of “chaos”.
“When we arrived, there were bodies scattered about. People screaming and total chaos. The mobile phones of the dead would not stop ringing,” said one firefighter, who was visibly shaken by the scene which greeted him.
Spanish civil guard sets up offices for families with missing loved ones
10:45 , Maira ButtSpain’s Civil Guard has set up three offices across the region to help victims’ families help identify them.
At least 39 people have been confirmed dead with dozens more injured, some critically.
Relatives have been told to file reports and provide DNA samples at offices in Huelva, Malaga and Madrid in order to help with the identification process.
How the high-speed train crash in southern Spain unfolded: ‘Felt like an earthquake’
10:30 , Maira ButtThe crash happened at 7.45pm local time near Adamuz, a town of about 5,000 people in the province of Córdoba around 360km south of the capital Madrid, according to Spain’s interior ministry.
The tail end of a train run by private high-speed rail operator Iryo, travelling from Málaga to Madrid, got derailed and jumped onto an adjacent track, where it smashed into an oncoming Renfe service travelling from Madrid to Huelva, a municipality in Spain, authorities said. Renfe is Spain's national state-owned railway company.
Stuti Mishra reports:
How the high-speed train crash in southern Spain unfolded: ‘Felt like an earthquake’
British foreign secretary Yvette Cooper comments on 'devastating' crash
10:12 , Maira ButtUK foreign secretary Yvette Cooper has released a statement following the Spanish train crash.
“Devastating to see the scenes near Córdoba this morning,” she wrote in a post on X/Twitter on Monday.
“Thinking of all those affected by this terrible crash, and the people of Spain at this distressing time. Thank you to the Spanish emergency services who have been responding through the night.”
Spain train crash: How safe is high-speed rail travel?
10:00 , Simon CalderSpain has the finest high-speed rail network in Europe. But on Sunday evening, 18 January, dozens of passengers were killed when an Iryo train from Malaga to Madrid derailed and collided with a Renfe Madrid to Huelva express at Adamuz in the southern province of Andalusia.
The tragedy will raise concerns among prospective travellers about the safety of high-speed trains. These are the key questions and answers.
Injured woman in hospital says she is 'covered in cuts and bruises'
09:54 , Graham Keeley (in Madrid)Rocio, who is in hospital in Cordoba, was travelling back to Huelva after taking civil service examinations in Madrid at the weekend.
“It was total chaos. I am under observation because of the blows to my head and the vomiting. My ribs are not broken, just dislodged,” she said in a WhatsApp message sent to El Pais newspaper.
“I am covered in bruises and cuts. It was terrible. We were thrown through the air. Thank God I am okay but there are people who are far worse off than me.”
Train operator president says 'too early' to know cause of crash
09:43 , Graham Keeley (in Madrid)The president of Renfe, the state-run rail company, discounted human error as the cause of the crash. Alvaro Fernandez Heredia said: “The (trains) were already on the braking curve, one at 205 km per hour, and the other at 210kmh. It is a 250 kilometer per hour section.
“The system itself prevents exceeding that speed. The cause must be something else.”
He said it was “too early” to know the cause and said it was important not to speculate on the matter.
'Shouting' and 'terror' during crash, say eyewitnesses
09:32 , Maira ButtSalvador Jimenez, a journalist with state television channel TVE, said: “I was travelling in carriage one of the Iryo train. Suddenly there was a crash. Then there was ten seconds of shouting, terror.
“We heard a message over the megaphone and a medic came through the carriage towards carriage five. They smashed the window with an axe. We saw the other train which had been hit. It was on its side. I thought 'My God' what has happened here.”
Missing woman's husband says 'she almost missed the train'
09:25 , Graham Keeley (in Madrid)Relatives were desperately searching for their loved ones in a makeshift field hospital set up in Adamuz, the small town near Cordoba which was the scene of the crash.
Ramon Monton had only spoken to his wife Tamara Margarita Valdes, who is Cuban, shortly before both trains collided on Sunday night.
“I still have not been able to find her. I am very nervous,” he told El Pais newspaper. Valdes was one of 184 passengers travelling from Madrid to the southern city of Huelva when the crash happened.
“The irony is she almost missed the train,” Monton added.
The crash was the worst train accident since 2013, when a train derailed in the northwestern city of Santiago de Compostela and burst into flames, killing 80 people and injuring another 145.
Spanish PM cancels trip to Davos
09:20 , Maira ButtSpain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has cancelled his trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday due to the accident in Adamux.
Sánchez was scheduled to meet with Donald Trump and Javier Milei where he planned to deliver a speech opposed to the right-wing leaders.
'Everyone was screaming': Passenger describes crash horror
09:16 , Graham Keeley (in Madrid)A shocked woman, who was on the train heading to Huelva, told TVE: “When the crash happened, everyone started to scream, the bags fell down from above.
“Then we sat there and we did not hear anything for a while. I was sitting in carriage four - at the back - luckily. Or it might have been worse. I have a bad neck but nothing worse.”
One train cleared of passengers as rescue efforts ongoing
09:04 , Maira ButtAndalusia’s regional government’s health authority has said that one train has been cleared of passengers, according to Spanish outlet RTVE.
“Rescue teams have reached the third carriage” of the Alvia train.
They added that there could be “an undetermined number of fatalities, a figure that could be high.”
Mayor says he helped people out of train 'with my own hands'
08:56 , Graham Keeley (in Madrid)Rafael Moreno, mayor of Adamuz, the town where the crash happened, was at a centre where relatives are waiting for news of their loved ones.
“I took part in the rescue last night, helping people out of the train with my own hands,” he told TVE, the state-run broadcaster.
In pictures: Site of deadly collision between two high-speed trains
08:42 , Graham Keeley (in Madrid)
Mapped: Where did the crash take place?
08:35 , Maira ButtA high-speed train derailed and smashed into another oncoming train in southern Spain on Sunday, pushing the second train off the tracks and down an embankment.
The accident happened at 7.45pm near Adamuz in the province of Cordoba, about 360km south of the capital Madrid.
An Iryo-operated train travelling from Malaga to Madrid derailed, sending multiple carriages across onto the other tracks. These were then hit head-on by a Renfe train travelling from Madrid to Huelva, sending it careering down a railway embankment.
The Iryo train had more than 300 passengers on board, while the Renfe train had around 100.
The crash took place 10 minutes after the Iryo train left Cordoba heading towards Madrid, authorities said.
"The Iryo 6189 Malaga - (to Madrid) train has derailed from the track at Adamuz, crashing onto the adjacent track. The (Madrid) to Huelva train which was travelling on the adjacent track has also derailed," Adif, which runs the rail network, said in a social media post.
'Everyone started to scream': Passenger recounts horror of crash
08:28 , Graham Keeley (in Madrid)A shocked woman, who was on the train heading to Huelva, told TVE: “When the crash happened, everyone started to scream, the bags fell down from above.
“Then we sat there and we did not hear anything for a while. I was sitting in carriage four - at the back - luckily. Or it might have been worse. I have a bad neck but nothing worse.”
Civil Guard sends out special team to identify victims
08:27 , Graham Keeley (in Madrid)Spain’s civil guard has sent out a special team to confirm the identities of the victims who have not yet been identified.
At least 39 people have been killed and over 122 treated in hospital for injuries.
Accident took place on straight section of track renovated in May, says Andalusian president
08:21 , Maira ButtAndalusia’s president, Juan Manuel Moreno, described the incident as "extremely strange” during a visit to the scene in Puente on Sunday, according to El Pais.
He said that the accident was unusual given that it occurred on a straight section of track that had been renovated in May.
He expressed confidence that an investigation would clarify the causes.
Live: Site of deadly train crash in Spain that killed at least 39 and injured 100
08:15 , Maira ButtNumber of victims could rise, says Spanish transport minister
08:04 , Graham Keeley (in Madrid)Spain’s transport minister Oscar Puente has shared his condolences with the victims and their families, adding that the death toll from the deadly crash is expected to rise.
“The death toll has already reached 39, and is not final,” he wrote on X/Twitter.
“I want to express all my gratitude for the huge effort of the rescue teams during the night, under very difficult circumstances, and my condolences to the victims and their families in these terribly painful moments.”
At least 122 people treated for injuries
07:53 , Maira ButtAndalucian emergency services say that 48 injured people have been discharged from hospital.
Those still in hospital include five children, with 11 adults and one child still in intensive care.
At least 122 people have been treated overall and 74 of those have been discharged.
Train involved in crash last inspected four days ago
07:45 , Maira ButtThe train at the centre of the deadly crash was last inspected four days ago, parent company Trenitalia told Sky News.
Sources from Spain’s Interior Ministry told the broadcaster that prosecutors are awaiting a police report before opening a criminal probe.
Locals step up to support accident victims
07:30 , Namita SinghLocal television images showed a reception centre set up for passengers in Adamuz, a town of 5,000 people, with locals bringing food and blankets as nighttime temperatures hovered around 6C.
Tearful passengers disembarking from the bus spoke briefly to local press before being guided inside.
Salvador Jimenez, a journalist for TVE who was on board the Iryo train, shared images showing the nose of that train's rear carriage lying on its side, with evacuated passengers sitting on its upturned side.
Jimenez told TVE by phone from beside the stricken trains that passengers had used emergency hammers to smash the windows and climb out, and they had seen two people taken out of the overturned carriages on stretchers.
Rail operator 'deeply regrets' accident
07:15 , Namita SinghIryo, a private rail operator, majority-owned by Italian state-controlled railway group Ferrovie dello Stato, has released a statement about the accident.
The company said in a statement that it deeply regretted what had happened and had activated all emergency protocols to work closely with the relevant authorities.
The train involved was a Freccia 1000 train which was travelling between Malaga and Madrid, a spokesperson for Ferrovie dello Stato said.
Renfe said the derailment of its train had been caused by the Iryo train derailing into its path, adding that emergency services were still recovering passengers.
Renfe said its president was travelling to the crash site and that it was working to support passengers and their families. Adif has suspended all rail services between Madrid and Andalucia.
Death toll from Spanish train collision rises to 39
06:52 , Namita SinghThe number of people killed in a collision between a derailed high-speed train and an oncoming service in southern Spain late on Sunday has risen to 39, Spanish public broadcaster RTVE reported on Monday, citing police sources.
Mapped: Where did the deadly train collision take place
06:49 , Namita SinghA high-speed passenger train derailed in southern Spain on Sunday evening and struck an oncoming service, forcing the second train off the tracks and down an embankment and killing at least 21 people.
The collision occurred near the town of Adamuz, in Córdoba province, roughly 360km south of Madrid. Emergency services said the crash happened at 7.45pm, around 10 minutes after an Iryo-operated train left Córdoba heading towards the capital.
Report:
Mapped: Where the high-speed train collision in Spain took place
Spanish PM clears schedule to address the tragedy
06:45 , Namita SinghSpanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez cleared his schedule for Monday to address the tragedy, while the King and Queen were following the developments with concern, a spokesperson said.
Foreign embassies sent text messages to staff asking them to confirm they were safe.
‘The scene is horrific’
06:34 , Namita SinghAdamuz Mayor Rafael Moreno told El Pais that he was among the first to reach the crash site alongside the local police and saw what he believed to be a badly lacerated body several metres from the accident site.
"The scene is horrific," he said. "I don't think they were on the same track, but it's not clear. Now the mayors and residents of the area are focused on helping the passengers."
Mapped: Where did the crash take place?
05:55 , Namita SinghA high-speed train derailed and smashed into another oncoming train in southern Spain on Sunday, pushing the second train off the tracks and down an embankment.
The accident happened at 7.45pm near Adamuz in the province of Cordoba, about 360km south of the capital Madrid.
An Iryo-operated train travelling from Malaga to Madrid derailed, sending multiple carriages across onto the other tracks. These were then hit head-on by a Renfe train travelling from Madrid to Huelva, sending it careering down a railway embankment.
The Iryo train had more than 300 passengers on board, while the Renfe train had around 100.
The crash took place 10 minutes after the Iryo train left Cordoba heading towards Madrid, authorities said.
"The Iryo 6189 Malaga - (to Madrid) train has derailed from the track at Adamuz, crashing onto the adjacent track. The (Madrid) to Huelva train which was travelling on the adjacent track has also derailed," Adif, which runs the rail network, said in a social media post.
There are still people trapped’: Everything we know about the train crash
05:45 , Namita SinghThe accident happened at 7.45pm, about 10 minutes after the Iryo train left Cordoba heading towards Madrid, authorities said."
The Iryo 6189 Malaga - (to Madrid) train has derailed from the track at Adamuz, crashing onto the adjacent track. The (Madrid) to Huelva train which was travelling on the adjacent track has also derailed," Adif, which runs the rail network, said in a social media post.
Spanish transport minister Oscar Puente said most of those killed and injured had been in the first two carriages of the second train, the Renfe Alvia that derailed on impact and plunged down the side of the railway embankment. The first carriage had 37 people on board and the second, 16, he said.
An Iryo-operated train travelling from Malaga to Madrid derailed, smashing into the Renfe train travelling from Madrid to Huelva, sending it careering down a railway embankment.
The Iryo train had more than 300 passengers on board, while the Renfe train had around 100.
Paco Carmona, Cordoba fire chief, told TVE that while the Iryo had been evacuated within hours of the accident, the Renfe carriages were badly damaged, with twisted metal and seats.
"There are still people trapped. The operation is concentrating on getting people out of areas which are very narrow," he said. "We have to remove the bodies to reach anyone who is still alive. It is proving to be a complicated task."
Officials raise concerns as train derailed on flat stretch
05:30 , Namita SinghThe cause for the crash is not yet known, Spanish transport minister Oscar Puente told reporters at a press conference at Atocha station in Madrid, adding it was "really strange" that a derailment should have happened on a straight stretch of track. This section of track was renewed in May, he added.
The second train, heading to Huelva and operated by state-funded Renfe, was travelling at around 200 kmph at the moment of impact, reported El Pais.
It was unclear how fast the first train was travelling when it derailed.
Victims share account of surviving train crash
05:15 , Namita SinghMaria San José, 33, a passenger on the Malaga-to-Madrid high-speed train that first derailed, said that there are many injured. “I am still trembling," she told El Pais.
A passenger on the second train, who was not identified, told public broadcaster TVE: "There were people screaming, their bags fell from the shelves. I was travelling to Huelva in the fourth carriage, the last, luckily."
Driver of train among those killed
05:00 , Namita SinghThose killed in the crash include the 27-year-old driver of the Madrid-to-Huelva train, which struck the other train's derailed carriages head-on, reported the El Pais newspaper.
"The forcefulness of the accident has been very strong ... we will likely find (more) corpses," the chief of Andalucia's regional government, Juanma Moreno said, adding that heavy machinery would need to be used to remove the trains' wrecked metal pieces and try to locate any new victims.
There were around 400 passengers on the two trains, most of them Spaniards travelling back to and from Madrid after the weekend. It was unclear how many tourists were be on board, though January is not peak holiday season in Spain.
Spain leads Europe in high-speed trains
04:45 , Namita SinghSpain has the largest high-speed rail network in Europe for trains moving over 250kmph (155mph), with more than 3,100km (1,900 miles) of track, according to the European Union.
The network is a popular, competitively priced and safe mode of transport. Renfe said more than 25 million passengers took one of its high-speed trains in 2024.
Rail operator Adif said train services between Madrid and cities in Andalusia would not run on Monday.Spain's worst train accident this century occurred in 2013, when 80 people died after a train derailed in the country's northwest.
An investigation concluded the train was traveling 179kmph (111 mph) on a stretch with an 80kmph (50 mph) speed limit when it left the tracks.
Spanish and European leaders mourn the dead
04:30 , Namita SinghSpanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez has offered his “sincerest condolences to the family and loved ones of the victims”.
"Tonight is one of deep sadness for our country,” he wrote on X.
Spain's King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia also expressed their condolences and concern on social media.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said in a post on X that she was following "the terrible news" from Cordoba.
"Tonight you are in my thoughts," she wrote in Spanish.
Locals reaching accident scene to help victims
04:15 , Namita SinghFrancisco Carmona, the firefighter chief of Cordoba, told Spanish national radio RNE that one of the trains was badly mangled, with at least four carriages off the rails.
The regional Civil Protection chief, Marïa Belïn Moya Rojas, told Canal Sur the accident happened in an area that is hard to reach. She added that local people were taking blankets and water to the scene to help the victims.
Spain's military emergency relief units joined the deployment of other rescue units. The Red Cross also provided support to healthcare officials.
Officials call accident 'strange'
03:45 , Namita SinghSpain's transport minister Oscar Puente said the cause of the crash was unknown.He called it "a truly strange" incident because it happened on a flat stretch of track that had been renovated in May. He also said the train that jumped the track was less than four years old.
That train belonged to the private company Iryo, while the second train, which took the brunt of the impact, was part of Spain's public train company Renfe.
Iryo issued a statement saying it "deeply lamented what has happened" and that it was working with authorities to manage the situation.
According to Puente, the back part of the first train derailed and crashed into the head of the other train, knocking its first two carriages off the track and down a four-meter (13-foot) slope. He said the worst damage was to the front section of the Renfe train.
Impact 'felt like an earthquake'
03:45 , Namita SinghSalvador Jimïnez, a journalist for Spanish broadcaster RTVE, was on board one of the derailed trains and told the network by phone that "there was a moment when it felt like an earthquake and the train had indeed derailed."
He said passengers used emergency hammers to break the windows, and that some had walked away without serious injuries. Videos from the scene show people crawling out of windows to escape the wreckage with carriages leaning at an angle.
The incident occurred in the early evening near the village of Adamuz and hundreds of survivors had to be rescued in the darkness.
Minister suspects there could be more victims as 15 hospitalised with serious injuries
03:30 , Namita SinghSpain's transport minister Oscar Puente updated the death toll to 21 after midnight when he said that rescuers had removed all the survivors. But Puente said there could be more victims still to be confirmed.
Andalusia regional president Juanma Moreno said 75 passengers were hospitalised, with most taken to the nearby city of Cordoba, including 15 people with serious injuries.
Moreno said emergency workers would work all night to remove bodies from the wreckage."We have a very difficult night ahead," Andalusia's regional health chief Antonio Sanz said.
ICYMI: High-speed trains collide after one derails in southern Spain, killing at least 21
03:15 , Namita SinghA high-speed train derailed, jumped onto the track in the opposite direction and slammed into an incoming train on Sunday in southern Spain, killing at least 21 and injuring dozens more, the country's transport minister said.
The tail end of an evening train travelling from Malaga to Madrid with some 300 passengers went off the rails near Cïrdoba at 7.45pm local time and slammed into a train with some 200 passengers coming from Madrid to Huelva, another southern Spanish city, according to rail operator Adif.
Footage shows aftermath of deadly train derailment in Spain
03:01 , Alex CroftNew footage shows the aftermath of a deadly high-speed train derailment near Adamuz in southern Spain (January 18).
So far, 21 people have been confirmed dead by police, with state broadcaster Television Espanola adding that 100 people had been injured, 25 seriously.
Video shared on social media shows derailed carriages, emergency crews at the scene, and passengers climbing out of a train carriage left tilted on its side.
Watch here:
More pictures from the scene in Adamuz
02:00 , Alex Croft
Train companies supporting relatives of victims
01:01 , Alex CroftAdif, the company which runs Spain’s state-owned rail network, has released more information in a post on social media.
The company says it is providing spaces to assist the relatives of victims, the operator added.
It added in the post: “We are working in coordination with emergency services and railway companies regarding the accident that has taken place in Adamuz.
“Tonight, the stations of Madrid Puerta de Atocha, Córdoba Julio Anguita and Sevilla Santa Justa will remain open.”
🔴 Trabajamos en coordinación con los servicios de emergencia y empresas ferroviarias en el accidente que ha tenido lugar en Adamuz (Córdoba).
— Adif (@Adif_es) January 18, 2026
✖️🚄 La circulación de alta velocidad entre Madrid y Córdoba, Sevilla, Málaga, Granada y Huelva seguirá suspendida, al menos, durante… https://t.co/UNHi8zFT54
Situation is 'very serious', says Spain's transport minister
00:01 , Alex CroftSpanish transport minister has described the situation regarding the high-speed train crash between Madrid and Cordoba as “very serious”.
“The latest information coming in is very serious,” Oscar Puente said in a post on X.
“The last units of the Iryo train heading toward Madrid have derailed, with those cars invading the opposite track where, at that moment, a Renfe train heading toward Huelva was traveling.
“The impact has been terrible, causing the first two units of the Renfe train to be thrown off as a result. The number of victims cannot be confirmed at this time. The fundamental priority now is to assist the victims.”
EU Council president 'deeply shocked' by crash
Sunday 18 January 2026 23:50 , Alex CroftEU Council president Antonio Costa has said he is “deeply shocked” by the horror train crash which has left at least 21 dead.
He said in a post on X: “Deeply shocked by the terrible train accident in Adamuz, Córdoba.
“My deepest solidarity with the victims, their loved ones, and with the Spanish people.
“My most sincere condolences to the grieving families and my full support to the injured people, as well as to the emergency teams mobilized.”
Consternado por el terrible accidente ferroviario en Adamuz, Córdoba.
— António Costa (@eucopresident) January 18, 2026
Mi más profunda solidaridad con las víctimas, sus seres queridos y con el pueblo español.
Mis más sinceras condolencias a las familias en duelo y todo mi apoyo a las personas heridas, así como a los equipos…
Local hospitals prepare for influx of patients
Sunday 18 January 2026 23:45 , Alex CroftA local doctor has said his medical facility is ready for an influx of patients following the deadly train crash in Adamuz, Spain.
According to reports in Spain, 100 people were injured, including 25 seriously.
“Ready for anyone who needs it regarding the accident in #adamuz,“said Ruben Ciria, alongside a picture of several medics standing in a room with a number of empty hospital beds.
“All alerts activated. The healthcare response in #Cordoba is massive. Giving the best we have.”
Preparad@s para todo aquel que lo necesite respecto del accidente en #adamuz. Todas las alertas activadas. La respuesta sanitaria en #Cordoba está siendo masiva. Dando lo mejor que tenemos. @quironsalud @quironsalud @InfoAdif @Renfe @Inforenfe pic.twitter.com/AJ85sK1m02
— RUBEN CIRIA (@drciria) January 18, 2026
Spanish prime minister says he is 'very concerned' about train crash
Sunday 18 January 2026 23:28 , Alex CroftSpanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez has said he is “very concerned” about the accident between two high-speed trains.
“Very concerned about the accident between two high-speed trains that have derailed in Adamuz (Córdoba),” Mr Sanchez wrote on X.
“The Government is working with the rest of the competent authorities and emergency services to assist the passengers.”
Footage shows aftermath of deadly train derailment in Spain
Sunday 18 January 2026 23:26 , Alex CroftHigh-speed rail suspended in region on Monday
Sunday 18 January 2026 23:26 , Alex CroftHigh-speed rail traffic will be suspended between Madrid and Cordoba after Sunday’s crash, state-owned Spanish train operator Adif has said.
“High-speed rail traffic between Madrid and Córdoba, Seville, Málaga, and Huelva will be suspended, at least, throughout Monday, January 19,” it said on X.
ℹ️ La circulación ferroviaria de alta velocidad entre Madrid y Córdoba, Sevilla, Málaga y Huelva estará suspendida, al menos, durante todo el lunes 19 de enero.
— INFOAdif (@InfoAdif) January 18, 2026
Pictures from the scene of the crash
Sunday 18 January 2026 23:24 , Alex Croft
Bulletin | Trains derail in Spain causing mass casualty emergency
Sunday 18 January 2026 23:23 , Alex CroftEverything you need to know in five bullet points:
- Twenty-one people have reportedly died after two high-speed trains derailed in southern Spain on Sunday, according to state-run television channel RTVE.
- The incident, which occurred near Adamuz, Cordoba, also left at least 100 passengers injured, with 25 sustaining serious injuries.
- The Iryo 6189 service, travelling from Málaga to Madrid, derailed and crashed onto an adjacent line, subsequently causing a second train (Madrid to Huelva) to also derail.
- The accident took place approximately ten minutes after the Iryo train departed Malaga at 6:40 p.m., with the Italian-run private rail operator yet to issue a statement.
- Rail network operator Adif announced the suspension of all rail services connecting Madrid and Andalusia, with emergency services dispatching numerous vehicles to the scene.
High-speed train crash kills at least 21
Sunday 18 January 2026 23:17 , Alex CroftA high-speed train derailed and smashed into another oncoming train in southern Spain on Sunday, pushing the second train off the tracks in a collision that police sources confirmed had killed at least 21 people.
The accident happened near Adamuz, in Cordoba province. So far, 21 people have been confirmed dead by police, with state broadcaster Television Espanola adding that 100 people had been injured, 25 seriously.
The driver of one of the trains, which was travelling from Madrid to Huelva, was among those who died, the TV station added.
