At least 39 people were killed and dozens were subsequently injured Two high-speed trains collided In southern Spain on Sunday evening, in one of the country’s deadliest railway accidents in more than a decade.
the The accident occurred at 7.45pm local time near Adamuz, A town of about 5,000 people in the province of Cordoba, about 360 kilometers south of the capital, Madrid, according to the Spanish Interior Ministry.
The end of a train operated by the private high-speed rail company Iryo, which was traveling from Malaga to Madrid, derailed and jumped onto the adjacent track, where it collided with an oncoming Renfe service that was heading from Madrid to Huelva, a municipality in Spain, authorities said. Renfe is Spain’s state-owned national railway company.
Spain’s state-owned railway operator Adiv said the Aerio train derailed first and collided with the second train, causing it to derail and fall onto a railway bridge.
Spanish Transport Minister Oscar Puente said the accident was “really strange,” noting that it occurred on a straight stretch of track that was renovated in May. The Frecciarossa 1000 high-speed train operated by Iryo was carrying more than 300 passengers, according to officials.
The Madrid-Huelva Alvea train, run by Renfe, was carrying between 100 and 200 passengers, and authorities later said the worst damage occurred in its first two cars.
Mapping: Two trains collide and derail in southern Spain (Independent)
El Pais newspaper reported that the Renfe train was traveling at about 200 kilometers per hour at the time of the collision. It was not clear how fast the Erio train was moving when it derailed.
Mr Puente said the rear section of the Erio train derailed, while the front section of the Renfe train suffered the full impact of the collision and fell several meters down the bridge.
Juanma Moreno, the regional president of Andalusia, said that at least 75 people were taken to hospital, including 15 in serious condition.
Mr. Moreno warned early that the death toll could rise as daylight allowed rescuers full access to the wreckage.
Spanish-language daily newspaper Country It was reported that the 27-year-old driver of the Madrid-Huelva train was among the dead.
This video, taken from UGC images posted on social media and verified by AFPTV teams in Madrid, shows emergency personnel working after a train accident in Adamuz, southern Spain (@eleanorinthesky (via X)/AFP via)
Emergency services worked through the night under floodlights in cold conditions, with temperatures dropping to around 6 degrees Celsius.
Video footage circulated on social media showed rescuers pulling passengers from twisted carts, while others escaped by climbing through broken windows or were carried on stretchers.
Paco Carmona, head of the Cordoba Fire Department, said the Renfe train cars were badly mangled, with twisted metal and seats making access difficult.
“There are still people trapped,” he told Spanish broadcaster TVE. He added, “The operation focuses on getting people out of very narrow areas.”
Local authorities set up a reception center in Adamuz, where residents brought food, water and blankets to survivors while buses ferried passengers away from the site.
The Spanish Military Emergency Unit, the Red Cross, civil defense teams and regional firefighters were deployed.
People wait behind a police cordon area, where affected people are being transported and treated in the municipality of Casita in the town of Adamuz, after a high-speed train derailed and collided with another approaching train near Cordoba, Spain, January 18, 2026 (Reuters)
Maria San Jose, 33, a passenger on the Malaga-Madrid train, said: Country“There are many wounded. I am still shaking.”
Another passenger on the Madrid-Hulva train told public broadcaster TVE that luggage fell from the racks and people screamed as the collision tossed the carriages sideways.
Journalist Salvador Jimenez, who was traveling on the Erio train, said that the moment of impact “felt like an earthquake,” adding that passengers used emergency hammers to smash windows and escape.
A person affected by a fatal train derailment is transported for treatment to the municipality of Casita in the town of Adamuz, after a high-speed train derailed and collided with another oncoming train near Cordoba, Spain (Reuters)
The cause of the train derailment is not yet known, Puente said, adding that the investigation could take up to a month.
The accident was described as unusual because it occurred on a flat track, not a curve, and involved a train less than four years old.
Renfei said its train’s derailment was caused by an Erio train entering its path, while Erio said it “deeply regrets” the incident and is fully cooperating with authorities. Rail services between Madrid and Andalusia have been suspended, and Adev said they will not resume until safety checks are completed.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said: “The night is filled with deep sadness for our country.”
Spain’s King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia expressed their condolences, while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she was closely following the situation.
Spain has the largest high-speed rail network in Europe, more than 3,100 km long, and the system is widely considered safe and heavily used. Renfei said more than 25 million passengers traveled on its high-speed services in 2024.
Spain’s worst rail disaster this century occurred in 2013, when 80 people were killed after a train derailed in Galicia while traveling at excessive speed.
Additional reports from agencies.