A high speed train derailed near Adamuz in southern Spain and crashed into an oncoming service on Sunday, killing at least 21 people and injuring dozens.
The collision happened near Adamuz in the province of Cordoba, about 360 km south of Madrid, after an Iryo-operated train travelling from Malaga to Madrid derailed and smashed into a Renfe service heading from Madrid to Huelva. The force pushed the second train off the tracks and down an embankment. Authorities said there were around 400 passengers across both trains, mostly Spaniards travelling after the weekend, though the number of tourists on board was unclear as January is not a holiday season.
Andalucia regional chief Juanma Moreno said at least 75 people were hospitalised, including 15 in serious condition. He warned the toll would likely rise by daylight due to the severity of the wreckage and said heavy machinery would be required to remove metal sections and reach trapped victims. He described the impact as very strong and said more bodies were expected to be found. El País reported that the 27-year-old driver of the Madrid to Huelva train was among the dead.
Passengers described confusion and shock in the moments after the crash. Maria San Jose, 33, travelling on the Malaga to Madrid train, told El País that she was trembling. A passenger on the second train told TVE that bags fell from shelves and that they had been in the last carriage, which avoided the worst of the impact. El País reported that the Renfe train had been travelling at about 200 km per hour at the moment of impact, while the speed of the first train before it derailed remained unknown.
Transport Minister Oscar Puente said the cause of the derailment was not yet known and called it really strange for an incident to occur on a straight section of track that had been renewed in May. The crash took place at 7.45 p.m., about ten minutes after the Iryo train left Cordoba heading toward Madrid. Adif said in a statement that the Malaga to Madrid Iryo service derailed at Adamuz and crashed onto the adjacent track, causing the Madrid to Huelva train to derail as well.
Puente said the majority of the dead and injured had been in the first two Renfe carriages, which plunged down the side of the railway embankment. The first carriage had 37 people on board and the second had 16. Cordoba fire chief Paco Carmona told TVE that the Iryo train had been evacuated within hours, but the Renfe carriages were severely damaged with twisted metal and seats. He said there were still people trapped and that crews needed to remove bodies to reach anyone still alive.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez cleared his Monday schedule to address the tragedy, while the King and Queen monitored developments. Embassies contacted staff to confirm safety. Adamuz Mayor Rafael Moreno said he was among the first to reach the site and saw what he believed was a badly lacerated body metres from the trains. He described the scene as horrific and said local residents were focused on helping passengers.
Local television showed a reception centre set up in Adamuz, a town of 5,000, where residents brought food and blankets as night temperatures dropped to about 6 degrees Celsius. Tearful passengers arriving by bus spoke briefly to reporters before being guided inside. TVE journalist Salvador Jimenez, who was on the Iryo service, shared images of the rear carriage lying on its side, with passengers sitting on its upturned surface. He said travellers smashed windows with emergency hammers to escape and saw two people taken out of overturned carriages on stretchers.
Iryo, majority owned by Ferrovie dello Stato, said the Freccia 1000 train involved had been travelling between Malaga and Madrid and that the company had activated all emergency protocols and deeply regretted the incident. Renfe said the derailment of its train was caused by the Iryo service veering into its path and confirmed that emergency crews were still recovering passengers. Renfe said its president was travelling to the scene and that the operator was working to support passengers and families. Adif suspended all rail services between Madrid and Andalucia.
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