A catastrophic train collision in southern Spain has left at least 39 people dead and 170 injured, marking the country's worst rail disaster in over a decade. The horrific incident occurred on Sunday night in Adamuz, when a high-speed train bound for Madrid derailed onto the opposite tracks and smashed into an oncoming service.
Chaos and Carnage in the Darkness
Passengers aboard the stricken trains have recounted moments of sheer terror as carriages were reduced to mangled wreckage. Salvador Jiménez, a journalist with RTVE who was on one of the trains, described the impact as feeling like an "earthquake." He told how the carriages were plunged into darkness immediately after a deafening crash, with harrowing screams ringing out.
"There was ten seconds of shouting, terror," Jiménez told Spanish news outlet Malagahoy. Emergency personnel were forced to take extreme measures almost immediately, using axes to smash through the windows of carriages to create escape routes for the trapped and injured.
Miraculous Escapes and Shattered Carriages
One passenger, named only as Jonathan, was in carriage six of the Iryo train that had departed from Malaga. He said his carriage began to "bounce from side to side" before a loud bang erupted. "At that moment, I couldn't even think straight," he told Diario Sur, describing the scene as something from a movie.
Another commuter, Lola, survived due to a last-minute decision. She was assigned to carriage three of the Alvia train but moved to carriage five to sit with a friend. "I was incredibly lucky because mine was completely wrecked," she said. Lola was thrown several metres on impact. "When I managed to get up, everyone was screaming; it was pitch black," she recounted. Passengers then began breaking windows themselves to flee.
Her luck, however, was not shared by a friend in carriage one, who was hospitalised with two broken legs. "She's one of the worst affected," Lola said.
Ongoing Rescue and a Rising Toll
Emergency services raced to the scene throughout Sunday night, establishing a makeshift field hospital to treat the wounded. Of the 170 injured, 75 were taken to hospital, with 15 in a serious condition. Disturbingly, four of those seriously injured are children.
The first train, operated by Iryo, was carrying approximately 300 passengers. The second train, operated by Renfe, had around 200 people on board. Spain's transport minister, Óscar Puente, has warned that the death toll of 39 is not final and is expected to rise. In a post on X, he expressed his condolences to the victims' families and gratitude to the rescue teams working in "very difficult circumstances."
The cause of the initial derailment remains under investigation by authorities. This tragedy serves as a grim reminder of the potential dangers of high-speed rail and has sent shockwaves across Spain and Europe.
