Madrid, Spain – At least 39 people were killed and 152 others injured after two high-speed trains collided near the town of Adamuz in Spain’s southern Cordoba province, authorities said on Monday.
The accident occurred around 7.40pm local time (1840GMT) when a train traveling from Malaga to Madrid derailed near Adamuz, Cordoba, and encroached onto an adjacent track.
This caused a second train heading south from Madrid to Huelva to derail as well.
Regional authorities said two carriages of the Alvia train plunged down a four-metre embankment, complicating rescue efforts, El Pais reported.
Spain’s Interior Ministry said five of the injured remain in critical condition, while 24 others, including four minors, were seriously hurt. More than 120 people sustained light to moderate injuries.
Emergency services deployed large-scale resources to the scene, including mobile intensive care units, ambulances, logistics vehicles and an advanced medical post set up in an Adif railway facility to conduct triage and stabilise victims before hospital transfers.
The Military Emergency Unit (UME) also sent around 40 personnel and 15 vehicles to assist rescue operations.
Andalusian regional president, Juan Manuel Moreno, visited the site and described the incident as ‘a very hard day for Andalusia’. He said authorities would provide more reliable figures once identification procedures were completed.
Transport Minister Oscar Puente called the accident ‘extremely strange’, noting that it occurred on a straight section of track that had been renovated in May. He said an independent commission would investigate whether the cause was related to infrastructure or rolling stock.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez cancelled his official agenda for Monday, including a scheduled meeting with opposition leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo, and expressed condolences to the victims’ families.
French President Emmanuel Macron also conveyed solidarity with Spain, saying on social media that ‘France stands with you’.
Rail traffic between Madrid and several Andalusian cities, including Seville, Malaga, Cordoba and Huelva, was also suspended on Monday. Rail operator Renfe said more than 130 services were cancelled and offered free changes and refunds to affected passengers.
Adif, Spain’s rail infrastructure manager, set up a hotline to assist relatives of the victims.
Spain suffered one of its deadliest rail disasters in 2013, when a high-speed train traveling from Madrid to Galicia derailed, killing 79 people and injuring 179 others.
Agencies
