A 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.
According to Adif, the state body that manages Spain’s rail infrastructure, the Malaga-to-Madrid Iryo service derailed and crossed onto the neighbouring line, where it hit a Renfe train travelling from Madrid to Huelva. The impact derailed the Renfe service, sending its front carriages down the side of the railway embankment.
Andalusia’s regional president, Juanma Moreno, said 75 people were taken to hospital, including 15 in a serious condition. Speaking in the early hours of Monday, Mr Moreno warned the death toll could rise. “The forcefulness of the accident has been very strong ... we will likely find (more) corpses,” he said, adding that heavy machinery was required to cut through twisted metal.
There were about 400 passengers across both trains. More than 300 were on the Iryo service, while around 100 were travelling on the Renfe train. Most passengers were Spanish residents returning to or leaving Madrid after the weekend. January is typically a low tourist period in Spain, and officials said it was unclear how many foreign visitors were on board.
The 27-year-old driver of the Madrid-to-Huelva train was among those killed, reported El Pais. Spain’s transport minister, Óscar Puente, said most fatalities and serious injuries were concentrated in the first two carriages of the Renfe train, which bore the brunt of the collision. The first carriage carried 37 passengers and the second 16. The Renfe train was travelling at about 200kmph at the time of impact.
The cause of the derailment remains unknown.
Mr Puente described the incident as “really strange”, noting that it occurred on a straight section of track that had been renewed in May. Investigators will need to examine potential technical faults, signalling data and maintenance records to determine whether infrastructure standards, oversight responsibilities or operator liabilities require further scrutiny.
Passengers described scenes of panic inside the carriages. “There are many injured. I am still trembling,” said Maria San José, 33, who was travelling on the Iryo train.
Another passenger told TVE: “There were people screaming, their bags fell from the shelves. I was travelling to Huelva in the fourth carriage, the last, luckily.”
Córdoba’s fire chief, Paco Carmona, said the Iryo train was evacuated within hours, but the Renfe carriages were severely damaged. “There are still people trapped,” he said. “We have to remove the bodies to reach anyone who is still alive.”
Local residents in Adamuz, a town of about 5,000 people, opened a reception centre and brought food and blankets as temperatures fell to around 6C overnight. Rail services between Madrid and Andalusia have been suspended while the investigation continues.
Additional reporting by agencies
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