Spain

At least 39 people have died after a high-speed train crash in southern Spain on Sunday night, authorities confirmed on Monday, with officials warning the toll could increase as rescue operations continue.

The accident occurred near Adamuz in Córdoba province at around 7:45 pm, when the rear of a train carrying roughly 300 passengers from Malaga to Madrid derailed and collided with an oncoming train traveling from Madrid to Huelva. The second train, carrying nearly 200 passengers, bore the brunt of the impact.

Transport Minister Óscar Puente said the first two carriages of the second train were dislodged and fell down a 4-meter slope, where most of the fatalities appear to have occurred. Emergency teams are still working to recover victims from the twisted wreckage, with regional president Juanma Moreno describing the site as “a mass of metal” where further deaths may be discovered.

Eyewitnesses reported passengers escaping through broken windows, some using emergency hammers. Spanish police reported 159 injuries, including five in critical condition and 24 serious cases. A local sports center in Adamuz has been converted into a temporary hospital, with support from the Spanish Red Cross and civil defence teams.

The cause of the collision remains unknown. Minister Puente described the incident as “truly strange,” noting the crash occurred on a flat, recently renovated track, and the derailed train was less than four years old. The first train belonged to the private company Iryo, while the second was operated by Spain’s public rail service, Renfe. An official inquiry into the accident could take up to a month.

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Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed condolences on X, calling it “a night of deep pain for our country,” and plans to visit the site. Train services between Madrid and Andalusian cities were suspended on Monday.

Hoy es una noche de profundo dolor para nuestro país por el trágico accidente ferroviario en Adamuz.

Quiero expresar mis más sinceras condolencias a las familias y seres queridos de las víctimas.

Ninguna palabra puede aliviar un sufrimiento tan grande, pero quiero que sepan que…

— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) January 18, 2026

Spain boasts the largest high-speed rail network in Europe, with over 3,100 km of track. Last century, the deadliest train accident occurred in 2013 in northwestern Spain, leaving 80 people dead after a train exceeded the speed limit.