Spain has begun three days of mourning after a train collision in the southern region of Andalucía killed at least 40 people and injured dozens more. The crash, which occurred on Sunday evening near Adamuz in Córdoba province, is the country's worst rail disaster in over a decade. Rescuers continue to search through the wreckage, and officials have warned that the death toll is likely to rise.
The accident happened just before 8pm when a high-speed train carrying around 300 passengers from Madrid to the southern city of Huelva derailed and collided with an oncoming train. The impact sent the first two carriages of the southbound train off the track, plunging them down a 4-metre slope. Transport minister Óscar Puente described the derailment as 'really strange' given that it occurred on a straight stretch of track, which had been renovated in May.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited the site and vowed a full and transparent investigation into the cause of the crash. 'Spanish society, like all of us, is wondering what happened, how it happened, how this tragedy could have occurred,' he said. The train that derailed was less than four years old and had been inspected four days earlier, according to the private operator Iryo. Renfe president Álvaro Fernández Heredia noted that 'human error is practically ruled out', while a source told Reuters that technicians had identified a broken joint on the rails that may have caused a gap.
Families have been desperately searching for missing loved ones. Juan Barroso said five members of his extended family were on the train, with only a six-year-old child accounted for. Others have taken to social media to post photos and plead for information. Police have opened offices where people can file reports and provide DNA samples for identification. The mayor of Adamuz, Rafael Moreno, described the scene as 'horrific'.
