Deadly High-Speed Train Collision in Southern Spain Kills 21, Injures Dozens

At least 21 people were killed and more than 70 injured when two high-speed trains collided and derailed in southern Spain near Adamuz. Rescue teams battled twisted wreckage to reach trapped passengers, while services on major Andalusian routes were suspended and authorities launched an investigation.

A devastating collision between two high-speed trains carrying hundreds of passengers in southern Spain has claimed the lives of at least 21 people and left more than 70 others injured, emergency services confirmed on Sunday.
The tragedy unfolded when a high-speed train travelling from Malaga to Madrid derailed near the town of Adamuz and crossed onto the opposite track, where it struck an oncoming train. Both trains derailed after the impact, according to a statement posted on X by Spain’s rail infrastructure operator, Adif.
Initial information from police was conflicting. A police spokesperson first told the AFP news agency that five people had died in the accident in the province of Cordoba. However, as rescue teams gained access to more of the wreckage and the scale of the disaster became clearer, the death toll was revised upwards to 21.
Antonio Sanz, the top emergency official in the southern region of Andalusia, told a press conference that at least 73 people had been injured, many of them seriously. He warned that the number of casualties could still rise as rescue operations continued and more victims were located inside the damaged carriages.
Spanish media reported that the total number of injured could reach 100, with several passengers still trapped in the twisted wreckage hours after the collision. Rescue teams were forced to work carefully and slowly because of the condition of the metal and the risk of further injuries.
“The problem is that the carriages are twisted, so the metal is twisted with the people inside,” said Francisco Carmona, head of the Cordoba fire service, in an interview with public broadcaster RTVE.
“We have even had to remove a dead person in order to reach someone who was still alive. It is hard, tricky and extremely delicate work,” he added, describing the difficult conditions facing emergency crews.
One witness told RTVE that one of the carriages from the first train had completely overturned after the impact. Television images showed dozens of firefighters, paramedics and police officers working among the wreckage, with ambulances lined up nearby to transport the injured to hospitals.
A journalist from public broadcaster RNE who had been travelling on one of the trains said the moment of impact felt “like an earthquake”. He described how passengers were thrown from their seats and luggage was sent flying through the carriages.
According to the journalist, many passengers used emergency hammers to smash the carriage windows so they could escape from the damaged coaches and reach safety.
Another survivor, Lucas Meriako, who was travelling on the first train that derailed, told La Sexta television that “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 because of the glass,” he said, describing scenes of panic and confusion inside the train.
Spanish media reports suggested that a total of around 400 people were on board the two trains involved in the collision, raising fears that the number of casualties could increase further as all passengers were accounted for.
Adif announced that high-speed services between Madrid and the Andalusian cities of Cordoba, Seville, Malaga and Huelva would be suspended for at least the entire day on Monday while investigations were launched and damaged tracks were inspected.
The rail operator said special spaces had been set up at major stations in Madrid, Seville, Cordoba, Malaga and Huelva to provide information and assistance to the relatives and friends of those affected by the disaster.
In a message posted on X, the royal palace said that King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia were following developments “with great concern”, offering “our most heartfelt condolences to the relatives and loved ones of the dead, as well as our love and wishes for a swift recovery to the injured”.
Spain is known for having Europe’s largest high-speed rail network, with more than 3,000 kilometres of dedicated tracks linking major cities such as Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Valencia and Malaga. High-speed rail has long been a symbol of modern transport in the country.
The nation was last shaken by a major rail tragedy in 2013, when a high-speed train travelling from Madrid to Galicia derailed, killing 79 people and injuring 179 others, one of the deadliest rail disasters in Spanish history.