21 Killed, 100 Injured as High-Speed Trains Collide in Spain
MADRID — A catastrophic collision between two high-speed trains in southern Spain has left at least 21 people dead and over 100 injured, plunging the nation into mourning.
The disaster occurred on Sunday evening near the town of Adamuz in the province of Cordoba. Authorities confirmed that an Iryo high-speed train traveling from Malaga to Madrid derailed and slammed into an oncoming Renfe train heading from Madrid to Huelva.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described the incident as a “night of deep pain,” while rescue crews worked through the darkness to free passengers trapped in twisted metal.
“It Felt Like an Earthquake”
The crash happened at approximately 7:45 PM local time. According to the state rail infrastructure manager, Adif, the Iryo train—carrying over 300 passengers—derailed for unknown reasons, crossing onto the adjacent track just as the Renfe train approached.
The impact was devastating. The collision threw the first two carriages of the Renfe train off the tracks and down a four-meter embankment.
“It felt like an earthquake,” said Salvador Jimenez, a journalist for Spanish broadcaster RTVE who was a passenger on one of the trains. “We had to use emergency hammers to break the windows and crawl out.”
Another passenger, identified only as Carmen, recounted the horror on social media: “Ten minutes after departing Cordoba, the train started to shake violently. The lights went out, and then we crashed.”
Emergency Response and Investigation
Transport Minister Óscar Puente, who is monitoring the situation from Madrid, described the accident as “extremely strange” given that it occurred on a straight, recently renovated section of track.
“The impact was terrible,” Puente stated. “Our priority now is the victims and their families. An investigation is already underway to determine the cause.”
Emergency services from the Andalusia region deployed massive resources to the scene, including firefighters, paramedics, and the Civil Guard. A field hospital was set up in Adamuz to treat the injured, with 25 people reported in serious condition.
Rail Chaos
Adif has suspended all high-speed rail services between Madrid and Andalusia until further notice, affecting routes to Seville, Malaga, and Cordoba. Thousands of passengers remain stranded at major stations across the country.
This tragedy stands as one of Spain’s worst rail disasters since the 2013 Santiago de Compostela derailment, which claimed 79 lives.