At least 21 people have been killed and dozens more injured after a catastrophic high-speed train accident in southern Spain, prompting emergency officials to make an unusual public appeal for survivors to confirm they were alive on social media as families desperately searched for information overnight.
The crash occurred near the town of Adamuz, close to Córdoba, when a high-speed train travelling from Málaga to Madrid derailed and crossed onto another track, colliding with an oncoming service from Madrid to Huelva. Authorities warned the death toll could rise as rescue operations continued into the night amid twisted wreckage and severe disruption across Spain's rail network.
Emergency Appeal to Survivors Sparks Attention
In a post on X, the Emergency Agency of Andalucía urged anyone who survived the crash to share online that they were alive. Officials said the appeal was intended to reduce confusion and anxiety as relatives struggled to determine who had survived, with injured passengers spread across multiple hospitals and stations.
Spanish Red Cross officials said families were facing extreme distress due to the lack of clear information in the immediate aftermath. Counselling services were deployed alongside medical teams to support relatives waiting for updates.
What Happened Near Córdoba
According to rail infrastructure operator Adif, the derailment happened roughly ten minutes after the Málaga to Madrid train departed at 18:40 local time. The train left the tracks on a straight stretch that had been refurbished in May last year before colliding with the oncoming service.
Transport minister Óscar Puente described the incident as 'extremely strange', noting that derailments on straight, recently upgraded lines are highly unusual. The official cause of the train accident in Spain remains unknown, and investigators have said it could take at least a month to determine what went wrong.
This happened in the train-line of my hometown yesterday.
— Ada Lluch (@ada_lluch) January 19, 2026
Today there has been a major accident involving two trains where over twenty people died.
Spain is a third world country.
pic.twitter.com/uaEJjLK78x
Casualties and Rescue Efforts
According to the BBC, Andalusian emergency services confirmed at least 21 fatalities and more than 30 people were being treated for serious injuries after the crash, with at least 73 injured in total.
The number of casualties was expected to change as overnight rescue operations continued. Rescue crews reported immense difficulty accessing survivors due to the mangled wreckage and challenging conditions at the crash site.
Córdoba fire chief Francisco Carmona told Spanish broadcaster RTVE that rescuers were forced to make harrowing decisions at the scene. 'We have even had to remove a dead person to be able to reach someone alive. It is hard, tricky work,' he said.
Tragedy in southern Spain🇪🇸: a high-speed train derailed, crossed tracks, and hit another train head-on.
— Sumit (@SumitHansd) January 19, 2026
More than 21 reportedly killed, and at least 100 injured, with 25 suffering critical injuries#Spain | #trainaccident pic.twitter.com/UHas6y2Luk
Survivors Describe Chaos and Confusion
Passengers who survived the high-speed rail crash described a violent impact and prolonged uncertainty. RTVE journalist Salvador Jiménez, who was on one of the trains, said the derailment felt like an 'earthquake'. He later posted that survivors were left waiting in freezing conditions for buses to transport them to a nearby sports centre.
The confusion contributed to delays in accounting for passengers, intensifying the anguish of families gathered at stations across southern Spain.
Rail Disruption and Investigation Timeline
All rail services between Madrid and Andalusia were suspended following the collision and are expected to remain closed as inspections continue. Adif said it opened dedicated spaces at major stations including Atocha, Seville, Córdoba, Málaga and Huelva to assist relatives of victims and stranded passengers.
The trains involved were operated by private firm Iryo and state carrier Renfe. Around 300 passengers were on board the derailed train, while the second service carried about 100 people.
National and International Reaction
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Spain was facing a 'night of deep pain' as the scale of the tragedy became clear. King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia issued a statement expressing their condolences to the victims' families and wishing the injured a swift recovery.
Messages of sympathy also arrived from abroad, including from French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen. The disaster has revived memories of Spain's deadliest high-speed rail accident in 2013, when a derailment in Galicia killed 80 people.
As investigators work to establish the cause, the train accident in Spain has raised urgent questions about rail safety, emergency communication and how authorities manage information in the critical hours after a major disaster.
