High-speed train crash in Spain kills at least 39
At least 39 people have been killed and dozens more injured after two trains collided in southern Spain in the deadliest rail accident the country has seen in over a decade, according to the Civil Guard.
The crash occurred on Sunday evening when a Madrid-bound train derailed and crossed onto the opposite track, where it struck an oncoming service near the town of Adamuz, in the province of Córdoba. Rail operators said around 400 passengers and staff were travelling on the two trains combined.
Emergency services treated 122 people at the scene. Forty-eight remain in hospital, including five children. Authorities said 11 adults and one child are in intensive care.
Spain’s Transport Minister, Óscar Puente, warned that the death toll could still rise as rescue and recovery operations continue. He described the incident as “extremely strange,” adding that railway experts consulted by the government are “deeply puzzled” by how the crash occurred. An official investigation has been launched.
The accident happened at 7:45pm local time, roughly an hour after the train departed Málaga for Madrid. The derailment occurred on a straight section of track, an unusual circumstance that has raised further questions for investigators.
Puente said the impact forced carriages from the second train into an embankment. Most of the fatalities and serious injuries were reported in the front carriages of that train, which was travelling south from Madrid to Huelva.
The trains involved included a Freccia 1000 high-speed model, capable of reaching speeds of up to 400km/h (250mph), according to a spokesperson for Italian rail company Ferrovie dello Stato.
Rescue teams said the severely twisted wreckage complicated efforts to reach passengers trapped inside the damaged carriages, slowing recovery operations late into the night.
