39 killed in Spain train disaster: How two high-speed trains collided, what caused it and what comes next

A collision between two high-speed trains near Adamuz, Spain, killed at least 39 and injured over 70. Rescue teams are searching the wreckage, with more casualties feared. The cause is unknown, and rail services between Madrid and Andalusia are suspended.

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Spain is in shock after a deadly collision between two high-speed trains in the country’s south, leaving at least 39 people dead and more than 70 injured. Authorities fear the toll could rise as rescue teams continue to search the wreckage.

The accident occurred near the town of Adamuz, close to the city of Córdoba, about 360 kilometres south of Madrid, at around 6:40 pm local time on Sunday.

How the crash unfolded

According to officials, a high-speed train travelling from Malaga to Madrid derailed and crossed onto another track, where it collided with an oncoming train in southern Spain.

The first train was operated by Iryo and was carrying around 300 passengers. It derailed near Adamuz before slamming into a second train operated by state-run Renfe, which was travelling from Madrid to Huelva.

Adif, Spain’s rail network operator, said on social media, “The Iryo 6189 Malaga to Madrid train has derailed from the track at Adamuz, crashing onto the adjacent track. The Madrid to Huelva train which was travelling on the adjacent track has also derailed.”

Spanish newspaper El Pais reported that the Renfe train was travelling at around 200 kilometres per hour at the time of the collision.

Casualties and rescue efforts

At least 75 people were taken to hospital, with 15 reported to be in serious condition, according to Reuters. The chief of Andalusia’s regional government, Juanma Moreno, said, “The forcefulness of the accident has been very strong … we will likely find more corpses.”

Spain’s public broadcaster Television Española reported that the 27-year-old driver of the Renfe train was among those killed.

Some carriages fell down a four-metre embankment, according to Antonio Sanz, Andalusia’s top emergency official. Rescue teams faced major challenges as twisted metal trapped passengers inside.

Cordoba fire chief Francisco Carmona told RTVE, “The problem is that the carriages are twisted, so the metal is twisted with the people inside. We have even had to remove a dead person to be able to reach someone alive. It is hard, tricky work.”

“There are still people trapped. The operation is concentrating on getting people out of areas which are very narrow,” he added.

What authorities are saying about the cause

Spain’s Transport Minister Oscar Puente said the cause of the crash is still unknown and that it could take at least a month to determine what went wrong.

He described it as “really strange” that the derailment occurred on a straight stretch of track that had been refurbished in May last year.

Puente said most of the victims were in the first two carriages of the second train. “The first carriage had 37 people on board and the second, 16,” he told reporters.

‘It felt like an earthquake’

Survivors described scenes of panic and confusion after the impact.

Salvador Jimenez, a journalist with RTVE who was on one of the trains, said, “There was a moment when it felt like an earthquake and the train had indeed derailed.”

He said passengers smashed windows with emergency hammers to escape.

Lucas Meriako, who was travelling on the first train, told La Sexta television, “This looks like a horror movie.”

“We felt a very strong hit from behind and the feeling that the whole train was about to collapse, break. There were many injured due to the glass,” he said.

Another passenger, Maria San José, told El Pais, “There are many injured. I am still trembling.”

Emergency response and national reaction

The crash occurred in a hard-to-access area, according to regional civil protection chief María Belén Moya Rojas. Local residents brought blankets and water to help survivors while emergency crews worked through the night.

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the country would endure a “night of deep pain”.

“No words can alleviate such great suffering, but I want them to know that the whole country is by their side in this tough moment,” he wrote on X.

King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia said they were following developments with “great concern” and offered condolences to the victims’ families.

French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen also expressed sympathy.

Rail services suspended

All rail services between Madrid and Andalusia were suspended following the crash and will remain closed on Monday.

The Spanish Red Cross deployed emergency teams and counsellors to support families. Miguel Ángel Rodríguez of the Red Cross told RNE radio, “The families are going through a situation of great anxiety due to the lack of information. These are very distressing moments.”

Rescue and recovery operations are continuing as Spain mourns one of its deadliest rail accidents in recent years.