Spain has declared three days of national mourning following a catastrophic high-speed train collision that killed at least 40 people and injured dozens more. The disaster, the country's worst in over a decade, occurred near the town of Adamuz in Córdoba province on Sunday evening.
A Night of Horror and Desperate Searches
More than 18 hours after the crash, desperate families were still searching for missing loved ones. The collision happened just before 8pm on Sunday when the rear part of a Madrid-bound train, carrying around 300 passengers, derailed and smashed into an oncoming service.
The impact was devastating. Spain’s transport minister, Óscar Puente, said the force knocked the first two carriages of the southbound train off the tracks, sending it plummeting down a 4-metre (13ft) slope. Emergency crews, grappling with darkness and a single-track access road, worked through the night to pull survivors from the twisted wreckage.
Juan Barroso told reporters that five members of his extended family had been on the train travelling from Madrid to Huelva. Only a six-year-old child had been accounted for. "Now we’re searching for the four who are missing," he said, explaining they had checked hospitals in Jaén, Úbeda, and Córdoba.
Others turned to social media, posting photographs with pleas for information. One message read: "If anyone in Adamuz recognises this man, he’s my father, please contact me." Police opened offices for people to file missing persons reports and provide DNA samples to aid identification.
Questions Mount Over Cause of 'Strange' Derailment
As the rescue operation continued, urgent questions emerged about how such a tragedy could occur on Spain's modern, pride-of-the-nation rail network. Visiting the site, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez promised a full and transparent investigation. "Spanish society, like all of us, is wondering what happened, how it happened," he said, declaring the period of mourning starting at midnight on Tuesday.
Transport Minister Puente described the derailment as "really strange," noting it happened on a straight section of track that had been renovated just last May. The private operator, Iryo, stated the derailed train was less than four years old and had been inspected four days prior to the accident.
While the official cause remains unknown, a source told Reuters that technicians on site had identified a broken joint on the rails, which may have created a dangerous gap. Álvaro Fernández Heredia, president of state rail company Renfe, said it was too early to determine the cause but noted "human error is practically ruled out."
Concerns about infrastructure have been raised previously. Since 2022, the state-owned rail infrastructure administrator, Adif, has publicly flagged 10 issues in the area. In August, a train drivers' union warned that increased traffic was causing severe wear and tear, leading to frequent breakdowns.
A Community in Shock and a Nation Grieves
The small Andalusian town of Adamuz, a few kilometres from the crash site, was thrust into the heart of the tragedy. Mayor Rafael Moreno was among the first on the scene. "It was horrific," he said. "It was a tremendously tough, sad night." The town's municipal hall became an improvised emergency centre, offering first aid, food, and warmth to dazed survivors.
Officials warned the death toll was likely to rise further. Juanma Moreno, head of the Andalucían government, described the scene as a "twisted wreck" and said the violent impact had thrown bodies hundreds of metres from the carriages, complicating the search.
The accident has sent shockwaves through Spain, which boasts the largest high-speed rail network in Europe and the second largest in the world after China. In 2024 alone, Renfe reported more than 25 million passengers on its high-speed services. As the country mourns, the focus remains on the victims, the ongoing rescue operation, and the pressing search for answers.
