Spain Train Crash: 21 Dead After High-Speed Trains Collide in Córdoba
At least 21 people have been killed and more than 100 injured after two high-speed trains collided in southern Spain, authorities say, in one of the country’s deadliest rail disasters in recent years.
The crash happened on Sunday evening near the town of Adamuz, in the province of Córdoba, when a privately operated Iryo train derailed and struck an oncoming Renfe service, forcing it off the tracks and down an embankment.
Spain’s state broadcaster TVE said around 25 of the injured are in a serious condition. Emergency crews continued to search damaged carriages overnight amid fears that some passengers still be trapped.
What happened
According to rail infrastructure operator Adif, the Iryo service, travelling from Málaga to Madrid, left the rails at about 18:40 local time, around 10 minutes after departing Córdoba. Several carriages spilled onto the adjacent track, where they were hit by a Renfe train travelling from Madrid to Huelva.
More than 400 passengers were believed to be on board the two trains combined.
The driver of the Madrid-to-Huelva train was among those killed, Spanish media reported.
Spain’s transport minister Óscar Puente described the crash as “very serious”, saying the force of the impact derailed the first two carriages of the Renfe train.
| “The impact has been terrible. The first units of the second train were thrown off the track,”
| Óscar Puente, Spain’s transport minister
Rescue efforts continue
Firefighters and medical teams worked through the night in difficult conditions, cutting through twisted metal to reach passengers.
| “There are still people trapped. We are working in very narrow spaces and the operation is extremely complex,”
| Paco Carmona, Córdoba fire chief, told TVE
One of the trains was badly mangled, with at least four carriages off the rails, according to emergency services. Local residents brought blankets and water to the scene, while Spain’s military emergency unit and the Red Cross were deployed to support rescue and medical teams.
Survivors describe chaos
Passengers who survived the crash described scenes of panic and confusion.
| “I’m still trembling. There were many injured,”
| María San José, 33, a passenger on the Málaga-to-Madrid train, told El País
Another passenger on the Madrid-to-Huelva service told TVE:
| “People were screaming. Bags fell from the shelves. I was in the fourth carriage, the last one — luckily.”
Investigation under way
The cause of the derailment is not yet known. Mr Puente said it was “strange” that the accident occurred on a straight stretch of track that had been renovated in May. He added that the Iryo train involved was less than four years old.
Investigators are examining whether speed, signalling or technical faults played a role. The Renfe train was travelling at about 200km/h at the moment of impact, according to Spanish newspaper El País.
National and European reaction
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said he was “deeply concerned” and offered condolences to the victims’ families.
| “Tonight is one of deep sadness for our country,”
| Pedro Sánchez wrote on X
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia also expressed their sympathy, while European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said she was following the situation closely.
A major rail nation
Spain has the largest high-speed rail network in Europe, with more than 3,100km of track designed for trains travelling above 250km/h. Rail travel is widely seen as safe and affordable, with millions of passengers using high-speed services each year.
Train services between Madrid and parts of Andalusia were suspended on Monday as investigators worked at the scene.
Spain’s worst rail disaster this century occurred in 2013, when 80 people were killed after a train derailed in Galicia. Investigators say lessons from past accidents will form part of the inquiry into Sunday’s crash.
