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A devastating train collision in southern Spain on Sunday night has left at least 39 people dead and hundreds injured, with many still fighting for their lives.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described the disaster as “a night of deep pain for our country,” as rescue teams continue a massive emergency response, per the Guardian.
The tragedy unfolded at about 7:40PM near Adamuz in Córdoba province, when a high‑speed Iryo train traveling from Málaga to Madrid derailed and crossed onto the opposite track.
According to Adif, Spain’s rail infrastructure authority, the train then collided head‑on with an oncoming Renfe service.
The second train, operated by the state rail company Renfe, also derailed and plunged down an embankment.
Authorities say approximately 294 people were onboard at the time of the accident, including one driver and four crewmembers, per Sky News.
Iryo confirmed the details on X, explaining that “the derailment affected cars six through eight.”
Emergency teams, including the Guardia Civil and firefighters, worked through the night to evacuate passengers, with a joint emergency response team established at the scene.
Iryo released a statement saying: “Iryo deeply regrets the incident, has activated all its emergency protocols, and is collaborating closely with Adif, Renfe, and the relevant authorities to determine the causes and manage the situation as effectively as possible.”
By Monday morning, health officials in Andalucía reported that 122 people had been treated for injuries, and 48 remained in hospital, with 12 in intensive care units.
Survivors described horrifying scenes.
“There are many injured – I am still trembling,” said 33‑year‑old passenger María San José to El País. Another witness told public broadcaster RTVE that one of the carriages of the first train had completely overturned.
A passenger on the second train headed from Madrid to Huelva told TVE: “There were people screaming, their bags fell from the shelves. I was travelling to Huelva in the fourth carriage – the last, luckily.”
Television footage from the crash site showed medical crews and fire services working amid wreckage.
Córdoba fire chief Paco Carmona described the situation as extremely challenging, revealing that while the Iryo train had been evacuated, the Renfe carriages were severely mangled.
“There are still people trapped. The operation is concentrating on getting people out of areas which are very narrow,” he said.
“We have to remove the bodies to reach anyone who is still alive. It is proving to be a complicated task.”
Spain’s transport minister Óscar Puente said the cause of the crash was still under investigation.
Speaking from Atocha station in Madrid, he called it “really strange” that a derailment occurred on a straight stretch of track, especially one that had been renewed as recently as May.
He added that most of those killed and injured were in the first two carriages of the second train.
