A high-speed train derailed in southern Spain on Sunday, jumped the track in the opposite direction and collided with an oncoming train in an accident that killed at least 39 people, the Spanish Interior Ministry confirmed to Agence France-Presse on Monday.
The evening train between Malaga and Madrid derailed and collided with a train coming from Madrid to Huelva, another city in southern Spain, according to Spanish railway company ADIF.
Emergency services in Andalusia, the province where the accident occurred, said at least 25 people were seriously injured.
The head of regional civil protection, Maria Belen Moya Rojas, told local radio Canal Sur that the accident occurred in an area that is difficult to reach.
She added that local residents were transporting blankets and water to the scene to help the victims.
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain said on Sunday that they were “following with great concern the serious accident between two high-speed trains in Adamoz.”
The Royal Palace added: “We extend our deepest condolences to the relatives and loved ones of the dead, and we also express our love and wishes for a speedy recovery to the wounded.” He said on X.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a post on X that she was following the “terrible news” from Cordoba.
“Tonight you are in my thoughts,” she wrote in Spanish.
ADIF said train services between Madrid and the cities of Andalusia will not operate on Monday.