At least 21 people have been confirmed dead and 30 others seriously injured following a collision between two high-speed trains in southern Spain on Sunday evening, Spanish authorities have said.
The crash occurred around 7:45pm (18:45 GMT) near Adamuz, close to the city of Cordoba, involving a Malaga–Madrid train carrying about 300 passengers and another train travelling from Madrid to Huelva with roughly 200 passengers, according to rail operator ADIF.
Spanish Minister of Transport, Oscar Puente, said the cause of the accident remained unclear, describing it as “really strange” that the derailment happened on a straight stretch of track.
“The cause of the crash is not yet known,” Puente told reporters at a news conference at Madrid’s Atocha station, adding that the affected section of track had been renewed in May.
Television Espanola reported that the driver of the Madrid–Huelva train was among those killed, with a total of about 100 passengers sustaining injuries.
Puente confirmed that 30 of the injured were in serious condition and had been taken to hospitals.
“Thirty injured have been taken to hospitals and are in serious condition,” he said, noting that all victims had now been evacuated from the scene.
Emergency services deployed five mobile intensive care units, four emergency critical care units and several ambulances to the crash site.
Andalusia’s regional president, Juanma Moreno, said responders focused on stabilising victims before hospital transfers.
“The on-site services were focused on stabilising the injured before transferring them to hospitals,” Moreno wrote on social media, adding: “Our solidarity and support to all those affected.”
ADIF said its personnel were working closely with emergency responders on the ground.
Reacting to the tragedy, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez described the incident as a moment of national grief.
“Today is a night of deep pain for our country owing to the tragic rail accident in Adamuz,” Sanchez wrote on X.
“I want to express my sincerest condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims. No word can alleviate such great suffering, but I want them to know that the whole country is by their side in this tough moment.”
Following the crash, rail services between the Andalusia region and Madrid have been suspended. ADIF said trains from Cordoba, Sevilla, Malaga and Huelva would remain unavailable through at least on Monday.
