Spain Train Collision Kills 39, Dozens Injured in Southern Spain Rail Disaster

At least 39 people were killed and dozens injured after two trains collided and derailed near Adamuz in southern Spain. Emergency services evacuated passengers, treated the injured, and continue rescue operations, while authorities investigate the cause. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and local officials expressed condolences, and rail services between Madrid and Andalucía have been suspended.

At least 39 people have been killed and 12 are in intensive care following a catastrophic collision between two trains in southern Spain on Sunday night, an incident that Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described as “a night of deep pain for our country.” The collision occurred when a high-speed Iryo train travelling from Málaga to Madrid derailed near the municipality of Adamuz in Córdoba province at approximately 7:40 p.m. The train crossed onto the opposite track and collided with an oncoming train, according to Adif, Spain’s rail infrastructure authority, which provided updates on X.
The second train, operated by the state rail company Renfe, also derailed and fell down an embankment, authorities confirmed. “Approximately 300 people were onboard at the time of the accident,” Iryo said. “The derailment affected cars six through eight. The Guardia Civil and firefighters are currently working intensively at the scene to evacuate all passengers, and a joint emergency response team has been established. Iryo deeply regrets the incident, has activated all its emergency protocols, and is collaborating closely with Adif, Renfe, and the relevant authorities to determine the causes and manage the situation as effectively as possible.”
By Monday morning, emergency services in Andalucía reported that 122 people had received treatment for injuries sustained during the collision, and 48 remained in hospital, of whom 12 were in intensive care units. The scale of the tragedy left many survivors in shock. “There are many injured – I am still trembling,” said María San José, 33, a passenger on the train that first derailed, speaking to El País. Another witness told the public broadcaster RTVE that one of the carriages of the first train had completely overturned. An unidentified passenger on the second train, which was travelling from Madrid to Huelva, told public broadcaster TVE: “There were people screaming, their bags fell from the shelves. I was travelling to Huelva in the fourth carriage – the last, luckily.”
Television images captured medical crews and firefighters at the scene, working tirelessly to rescue passengers and provide first aid. The Córdoba fire chief, Paco Carmona, told TVE that while the Iryo train had been evacuated within hours, the Renfe carriages were heavily damaged, with twisted metal and destroyed seats. “There are still people trapped. The operation is concentrating on getting people out of very narrow areas,” he said. “We have to remove the bodies to reach anyone who is still alive. It is proving to be a complicated task.”
Spain’s transport minister, Óscar Puente, said the cause of the accident had yet to be established. Speaking at a press conference at Madrid’s Atocha station, he noted that it was “really strange” for a derailment to happen on a straight section of track, which had been renewed in May. Puente added that most of those killed and injured were in the first two carriages of the second train.
Prime Minister Sánchez is scheduled to visit the affected area, while the king and queen have been closely monitoring developments, a spokesperson said. On X, Sánchez wrote: “Tonight is a night of deep pain for our country due to the tragic railway accident in Adamuz. I want to express my most sincere condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims. No words can alleviate such immense suffering, but I want them to know that the entire country stands with them in this extremely difficult moment. All emergency services are working in a coordinated manner without rest.” The regional president of Andalucía, Juan Manuel Moreno, also expressed his condolences to the families of those affected, adding: “Our hearts are broken.”
A journalist from the public broadcaster RNE, who was travelling on one of the trains, described the impact as “like an earthquake.” Passengers reportedly used emergency hammers to break carriage windows to escape. Carmen, a passenger on the Málaga to Madrid train, posted on X: “Ten minutes after departing from Córdoba, the train started to shake a lot, and it derailed from coach six behind us. The lights went out.”
Footage posted by another Iryo passenger showed an official in a fluorescent jacket instructing passengers to remain in their seats in the darkened carriages. The official requested that passengers with first aid training keep watch over fellow passengers and assured everyone that they would be evacuated as soon as it was safe. He emphasized that remaining on the train was the safest option at the time and urged passengers to conserve their mobile phone batteries to use torches when disembarking. The passenger wrote: “In our carriage we’re well, but we don’t know about the other carriages. There’s smoke, and they’re calling for a doctor.”
Spanish media reports estimated that around 400 people had been on the two trains. Local television images showed a reception center set up for passengers in Adamuz, a town of 5,000 people, where locals brought food and blankets to help those affected, as nighttime temperatures hovered around 6°C (42°F). Adif has suspended all rail services between Madrid and Andalucía as authorities continue their investigation and emergency response.
Spain’s deadliest rail crash of this century occurred in July 2013, when a train travelling at 111 mph (179 km/h) derailed on a stretch of track with a 50 mph speed limit in Galicia, resulting in the deaths of 80 people. This latest accident is being treated with the utmost seriousness, with emergency services, rail authorities, and government officials working together to provide care for survivors, investigate the cause, and support the families of the victims during this devastating time