At least 39 people have been killed and 12 are in intensive care after two trains collided in southern Spain on Sunday night, in what the prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, called 'a night of deep pain for our country'. The crash occurred near the municipality of Adamuz in Córdoba province at about 7.40pm.
A high-speed Iryo train travelling from Málaga to Madrid derailed and crossed onto another track, where it hit an oncoming Renfe train, according to Adif, Spain's rail infrastructure authority. The second train also derailed, falling down a 4-metre slope. The two trains were carrying about 500 people in total.
Emergency services in Andalucía said 122 people had been treated for their injuries, with 48 still in hospital on Monday morning. The Córdoba fire chief, Paco Carmona, told TVE that while the Iryo train had been evacuated within hours, the Renfe carriages were badly damaged, hampering rescue efforts. 'There are still people trapped,' he said.
Spain's transport minister, Óscar Puente, said the cause of the crash had yet to be established, noting it was 'really strange' that a derailment should have happened on a straight stretch of track, which was renewed in May. He added that most of those killed and injured had been in the first two carriages of the second train.
Prime Minister Sánchez cancelled plans to travel to the World Economic Forum in Davos and visited the crash site, declaring three days of mourning across Spain and vowing a full investigation. 'It's a day of sorrow for all of Spain,' he said. The regional president of Andalucía, Juan Manuel Moreno, offered condolences, adding: 'Our hearts are broken.'
