At least thirty-nine people have been confirmed dead after two high-speed trains collided in southern Spain, in what the country's Transport Minister has described as a 'truly strange' and mysterious incident.
A Catastrophic Collision Near Adamuz
The disaster unfolded on Sunday evening at approximately 7:45 p.m. near the town of Adamuz in the province of Cordoba, roughly 230 miles south of Madrid. According to rail operator Adif, the tail end of an Iryo train carrying around 300 passengers from Malaga to Madrid derailed. It then slammed into an oncoming Renfe service travelling from the capital to Huelva, which was carrying nearly 200 people.
The impact was devastating. The head of the second train bore the brunt of the collision, causing its first two carriages to be knocked off the rails and plummet down a 13-foot slope. Transport Minister Oscar Puente stated that the majority of the fatalities likely occurred in those front carriages.
Both trains were travelling at extreme speeds exceeding 120 mph at the moment of impact. Sources from the Spanish Transport Ministry, cited by Sky News, indicated the first train was moving at about 130 mph, with the second travelling at roughly 127 mph.
Violent Aftermath and Ongoing Recovery
The force of the crash was so immense that some passengers were ejected through windows, with their bodies discovered hundreds of yards from the wreckage. Juanma Moreno, President of the Andalusia region, described the scene as a 'mass of twisted metal' and confirmed the grim search for further victims was continuing.
'It is likely when you look at the mass of metal that is there... it is probable we will find more victims,' Moreno said on Monday morning. Emergency services worked through the night under floodlights, with all survivors reportedly rescued by early morning.
In total, 159 people were injured. Authorities confirmed five are in a critical condition, with a further 24 seriously hurt. A sports centre in Adamuz was converted into a makeshift hospital, and the Spanish Red Cross established a support centre for affected families.
The Civil Guard has set up an office in Cordoba for relatives of the missing to provide DNA samples to aid in the identification process.
Investigation Launched into 'Strange' Derailment
Minister Puente has emphasised that the cause of the crash remains unknown, launching an official inquiry that he estimated could take around a month. He highlighted the puzzling nature of the accident, noting it occurred on a flat stretch of track that had been renovated as recently as May of last year. The derailed Iryo train was also less than four years old.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed the nation's grief, writing on social media platform X: 'Tonight is a night of deep pain for our country.' He is scheduled to visit the accident site on Monday.
The collision represents Spain's deadliest rail accident since 2013, when 80 people died in a derailment in the northwest. Spain boasts the largest high-speed rail network in Europe, with over 1,900 miles of track designed for speeds above 155 mph. Renfe reported more than 25 million passengers used its high-speed services in 2024 alone. All services between Madrid and Andalusia were cancelled on Monday following the tragedy.
