On Monday (19th), Spanish authorities reported that a high-speed train collision in southern Spain on Sunday has resulted in at least 39 deaths, with rescue operations still ongoing.
According to Spain’s national broadcaster RTVE on Monday, at around 7:45 pm on Sunday near Adamuz in the province of Cordoba, a high-speed train derailed and collided with another oncoming train, resulting in 39 fatalities and 152 injuries.
Juan Moreno, the President of the Andalusian Autonomous Community, stated earlier on Monday that 75 passengers were taken to hospitals for treatment, including 15 with severe injuries.
As a result of the accident, over 200 train services between Madrid and the southern Andalusian region (including Cordoba, Seville, Granada, and other major cities) have been canceled.
The Spanish Prime Minister’s office issued a statement on Monday, announcing the cancellation of all of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s scheduled activities for the day.
The Spanish Red Cross has set up an aid center near the accident site in Adamuz town to assist emergency rescue workers and individuals seeking information. The Spanish Civil Guard and civil defense personnel have been conducting rescue operations at the scene throughout the night.
Videos circulating on social media from Sunday show rescue workers using floodlights to rescue passengers from overturned and mangled train cars. Some passengers were seen climbing out of shattered windows, while others were carried away on stretchers.
The two trains were carrying approximately 400 passengers, most of whom were Spaniards traveling to and from Madrid for the weekend, though the exact number of tourists on board is still unclear.
Spanish Transport Minister Oscar Puente stated early Monday that the cause of the accident remains unclear.
He described it as a “truly bizarre” event since the accident occurred on a flat section of track that had been renovated just in May. Puente added that the derailed train was less than four years old and operated by the private company Iryo, while the second train, which sustained the major impact, belonged to the Spanish state-owned railway company Renfe.
According to Puente, the leading car of the first train derailed and collided with the front of the other train, causing the first two carriages to derail and fall from a 4-meter (13-foot) high embankment. He noted that the front section of the Renfe train suffered the most severe damage.
When asked about the time required to investigate the cause of the accident, he replied that it could take up to a month.
According to EU data, Spain has the largest high-speed railway network in Europe, with tracks spanning over 3,100 kilometers (1,900 miles) for trains operating at speeds exceeding 250 kilometers per hour (155 miles per hour).
As a popular, cost-competitive, and safe mode of transportation, Spain’s high-speed rail service saw over 25 million passengers in 2024.
Spain’s worst railway accident of the century occurred in 2013 when a train derailed in the northwest region, resulting in 80 fatalities. Investigation reports revealed that the train was traveling at 179 kilometers per hour in an 80 kilometers per hour speed limit zone, leading to the derailment.