CORDOBA, Spain: Two high-speed trains derailed and collided in southern Spain late Sunday, killing at least 39 people and injuring around 152 others, 25 of them seriously, police and state broadcaster TVE said.
The accident occurred near the town of Adamuz in Cordoba province when an Iryo train travelling from Malaga to Madrid derailed and crashed onto an adjacent track, striking a Renfe train heading from Madrid to Huelva. Both trains were forced off the rails, police sources told Reuters.
Adif, Spain’s rail infrastructure operator, said the crash happened at 6:40 p.m. (1740 GMT), around 10 minutes after the Iryo train departed Cordoba. The driver of the Madrid-bound train was among those killed, TVE reported.
According to Reuters, the Iryo train, a Freccia 1000 operated by the private rail company majority-owned by Italy’s Ferrovie dello Stato, was carrying more than 300 passengers. The Renfe train had about 100 passengers on board.
Adif suspended all rail services between Madrid and Andalusia, while Iryo said it deeply regretted the incident and had activated emergency protocols. Renfe did not immediately comment.
Cordoba fire chief Paco Carmona described a “horrific” scene, saying the first train had been evacuated but passengers remained trapped in the badly damaged carriages of the second train. Rescue teams were working in narrow spaces amid twisted metal.
Transport Minister Oscar Puente said the impact was “terrible” and that assisting victims was the immediate priority.
Local residents in Adamuz, a town of about 5,000 people, helped survivors with food and blankets as emergency services worked through cold nighttime conditions.
Passengers shared images and videos showing darkened carriages, smashed windows and evacuations onto the tracks. Investigations into the cause of the crash are ongoing.
