Spain: At least 39 people were killed and dozens injured after a high-speed passenger train derailed and crossed onto the opposite track before colliding head-on with another train in southern Spain on Monday, officials said.
According to rail infrastructure operator Adif, the rear section of a Malaga–Madrid service carrying about 300 passengers derailed at around 7:45 pm local time near Cordoba. The derailed coaches veered onto the opposite line and struck an oncoming train travelling from Madrid to the southern city of Huelva with roughly 200 passengers on board.
Spain’s transport minister Óscar Puente earlier confirmed 21 fatalities, saying all survivors had been rescued. He cautioned that the death toll could rise as emergency teams continued their work.
Puente said the cause of the accident was not immediately clear, describing it as “truly strange” given that it occurred on a flat section of track that had undergone maintenance in May last year.
The derailed train, operated by private company Iryo, was less than four years old, Puente added. The other train involved in the collision was run by Spain’s state-owned rail operator Renfe.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen expressed condolences for the victims in a post on X, saying she was deeply saddened by the loss of life in the crash.
Emergency services said dozens of injured passengers were taken to nearby hospitals, while rail traffic on the affected route was suspended as investigators began examining the wreckage.
