A high-speed train derailment in southern Spain has killed at least 39 people and injured more than 150, authorities confirmed. The incident is one of the deadliest rail accidents in Europe in recent years, highlighting the risks despite improved safety records.
Rail travel remains a common mode of transport across Europe, and major accidents have decreased since 2010, according to the European Union. However, this tragedy echoes past catastrophes, including a 2013 crash near Santiago de Compostela that killed 80 people when a train exceeded speed limits.
Other notable European rail disasters include a 2023 collision in Greece that killed 57, a 2016 head-on crash in Italy that killed 31, and a 2010 Belgian collision that killed 19. A 2009 Italian freight train explosion killed 32, while a 2006 Valencia subway crash killed 43.
In Montenegro, a 2006 derailment killed 45 people, and Austria's 2000 Kaprun funicular fire claimed 155 lives. The UK's 1999 Paddington crash killed 31, and Germany's 1998 Eschede high-speed derailment killed 101.
