At least 39 people have been killed and more than 120 injured after a high-speed train derailed and collided with another train in southern Spain, authorities confirmed on Monday.
Gatekeepers News reports that the crash occurred on Sunday evening near Adamuz in the Andalusia region, when a high-speed train operated by Iryo, travelling from Malaga to Madrid, derailed and crossed onto an adjacent track, colliding with an oncoming train bound for Huelva. Both trains subsequently derailed.
Spain’s Transport Minister, Oscar Puente, described the incident as “extremely strange,” noting that it was the country’s deadliest rail accident since 2013, when 80 people were killed near Santiago de Compostela.
“At least 39 people have died,” Puente said, warning that the figure was “not definitive” and could still rise.
“I want to express my deepest gratitude for the tremendous work of the rescue teams throughout the night, under very difficult circumstances,” he added in a post on X.
According to the Interior Ministry, about 123 passengers were injured, including five critically and 24 seriously.
Puente said the derailment occurred on a straight section of track that had been fully renovated, unlike the 2013 crash which happened on a curve. He added that the train involved was “practically new,” making the accident “very difficult to explain.”
“Rail experts are very surprised by this accident,” the minister said.
Iryo confirmed that the locomotive was built in 2022 and had last been inspected on January 15, adding that it “veered onto the adjacent track for still unknown reasons.” The company said about 300 passengers were on board the Malaga–Madrid service.
Renfe, operator of the second train, did not disclose the number of passengers on its service.
Emergency responders said rescue efforts were hampered by the severity of the wreckage.
“The problem is that the carriages are twisted, so the metal is twisted with the people inside,” said Francisco Carmona, head of firefighters in Cordoba.
“We have even had to remove a dead person to be able to reach someone alive. It is hard, tricky work,” he added.
Survivors recounted scenes of chaos and terror. A passenger on the second train, identified only as Montse, told Spanish public television that the train jolted violently before everything went dark.
“The attendant behind me hit her head and was bleeding. There were children crying,” she said.
“Luckily, I was in the last car. I feel like I was given a second chance at life.”
Another survivor, Lucas Meriako, who was travelling on the Iryo train, described the crash as resembling a horror film.
“This looks like a horror movie,” he told La Sexta television.
“We felt a very strong hit from behind and the feeling that the whole train was about to collapse. There were many injured due to the glass.”
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez was expected to visit the crash site on Monday.
“Today is a night of deep pain for our country owing to the tragic rail accident in Adamuz,” he wrote on X. “No words can alleviate such great suffering.”
Spain’s royal palace said King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia were following developments “with great concern,” offering condolences to the families of the victims and wishing the injured a swift recovery.
World leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, also sent messages of condolence.
Spain operates Europe’s largest high-speed rail network, with more than 3,000 kilometres of dedicated tracks linking major cities such as Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Valencia and Malaga.
