At least 21 people have been killed in a devastating high-speed rail collision in southern Spain, with officials warning the number of fatalities could rise as rescue operations continue through the night.
Spain’s transport minister Oscar Puente said more than 30 people are being treated in hospital for serious injuries following the crash.
The incident took place near the town of Adamuz, outside the city of Córdoba, after a high-speed train travelling from Malaga to Madrid derailed and veered onto a neighbouring track, according to rail network operator Adif.
The derailed train subsequently collided with an oncoming service heading from Madrid to Huelva. Andalusian emergency services confirmed that at least 73 people were injured in total.
Puente described the derailment as “extremely strange”, noting that it occurred on a straight stretch of track that had undergone refurbishment in May last year.
The cause of the crash remains unknown, and authorities said a full investigation is unlikely to establish what happened for at least a month.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Spain is facing a “night of deep pain” as the scale of the tragedy becomes clear.
Private rail operator Iryo said roughly 300 passengers were on board the Malaga-Madrid train when it derailed, while the second train — operated by Renfe — was carrying about 100 people.
Adamuz mayor Rafael Moreno was among the first officials to arrive at the scene, later describing what he saw as “a nightmare”.
In a message posted on X, Andalucía’s Emergency Agency urged survivors to confirm they are alive via social media to help ease the search for missing passengers.
Emergency responders said the mangled wreckage of the trains has severely hampered efforts to reach survivors and recover bodies.
Córdoba fire chief Francisco Carmona told Spanish public broadcaster RTVE: “We have even had to remove a dead person to be able to reach someone alive. It is hard, tricky work.”
Adif said the crash occurred roughly ten minutes after the train departed Malaga at 18:40 local time (17:40 GMT). Support centres for relatives of victims are being established at major stations, including Atocha, Seville, Córdoba, Malaga and Huelva.
All rail services between Madrid and Andalusia were suspended following the crash and will remain closed on Monday. Stations will remain open overnight to assist stranded passengers.
The train involved was a Freccia 1000 model, capable of reaching speeds of up to 400km/h (250mph), according to a spokesperson for Italian rail company Ferrovie dello Stato, speaking to Reuters.
The Spanish Red Cross has deployed emergency support teams to the site and is providing counselling services to families in the area.
Miguel Ángel Rodríguez of the Red Cross told RNE radio: “The families are going through a situation of great anxiety due to the lack of information. These are very distressing moments.”
Salvador Jimenez, a journalist with RTVE who was travelling on one of the trains, said the impact felt like an “earthquake”.
“I was in the first carriage. There was a moment when it felt like an earthquake and the train had indeed derailed,” Jimenez said.
In a later post on X, he said passengers were waiting in the “freezing cold night” for buses to transport them to a nearby sports centre.
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia said they were following developments “with great concern”.
“We extend our most heartfelt condolences to the relatives and loved ones of the dead, as well as our love and wishes for a swift recovery to the injured,” the royal palace said in a statement posted on X.
International leaders also reacted to the tragedy. French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen both offered condolences.
“My thoughts are with the victims, their families and the entire Spanish people. France stands by your side,” Macron wrote on social media.
Spain’s deadliest high-speed rail disaster occurred in 2013, when a derailment in Galicia killed 80 people and injured 140 others.
