The death toll from a collision between two high-speed trains in southern Spain rose to at least 39 people, Spanish authorities said on Monday, cautioning that the figure remains provisional as rescue and identification efforts continue.
The crash occurred on Sunday evening near Adamuz, about 200 kilometres north of Malaga.
A train operated by Iryo, travelling from Malaga to Madrid, derailed and struck a Renfe train moving in the opposite direction toward Huelva.
Spain’s interior ministry said 123 people were injured, including five in critical condition and 24 seriously injured. All injured passengers were evacuated overnight, authorities said. Spain’s military emergency unit was deployed to assist rescue teams, and a field hospital was set up near the crash site.
Transport Minister Óscar Puente said the death toll was not final and described the incident as “highly unusual”.
He said the last two carriages of the Iryo train left the track and collided with the first two carriages of the Renfe train, forcing them off the rails due to the force of the impact.
Iryo said the train was carrying about 300 passengers and had undergone its most recent maintenance inspection on Thursday. A passenger, Lucas Meriaco, told Spanish television channel La Sexta that the collision felt “like a horror film”, adding that several passengers were injured by shattered glass.
The cause of the crash remains unclear. Puente questioned how such an accident could occur on a straight section of newly renovated track involving a modern train. Renfe’s president, Álvaro Fernández Heredia, said human error had been largely ruled out, citing what he described as “unusual circumstances”.
An official accident investigation commission has begun collecting evidence. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez cancelled scheduled engagements to visit the site. Spain’s royal family expressed deep concern and condolences to victims’ families.
Rail infrastructure manager Adif suspended high-speed rail services between Madrid, Córdoba, Seville, Malaga and Huelva. European leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron, expressed condolences.
The crash ranks among Europe’s deadliest rail accidents this century, recalling Spain’s 2013 Santiago de Compostela derailment, which killed 80 people.
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