WEB DESK: A high-speed train derailment in southern Spain on Sunday near Adamuz, Cordoba, caused a devastating collision with an oncoming train, killing at least 24 people and injuring 75 others. Fifteen remain critically injured. Regional leader Juanma Moreno warned the death toll could rise as rescue efforts continue.
The impact sent one train plunging down an embankment, complicating recovery. Authorities are using heavy machinery to clear wreckage, fearing more bodies might still be discovered. The 27-year-old driver of the Madrid-to-Huelva train was among the fatalities. Around 400 passengers were aboard the two trains—primarily local travelers, as January is outside the tourist season.
Witnesses described chaos during the accident. Passengers recounted screaming and falling luggage; one credited their survival to luck. The Renfe-operated train reportedly traveled at 200 km/h when it struck the derailed Iryo train. However, the exact cause of the derailment remains unclear. Transport Minister Oscar Puente expressed surprise, as the track section was recently renewed and appeared straight.
The disaster occurred at 7:45 PM, just minutes after the Iryo train left Cordoba for Madrid. Adif, Spain’s rail network operator, stated the derailment forced one train onto another track, resulting in the collision. Casualties and severe injuries were concentrated in the first two carriages of the Renfe train, which sustained substantial damage and fell down the embankment.
Rescue operations faced major challenges due to twisted wreckage. Survivors from the Iryo train were evacuated quickly, but extraction from the Renfe carriages took significantly longer. Fire Chief Paco Carmona confirmed responders encountered bodies while attempting to reach trapped passengers.
The devastation prompted Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to cancel engagements and monitor developments alongside Spain’s King and Queen. Adamuz residents supported survivors by providing food and blankets amid plunging nighttime temperatures.
Eyewitness accounts and images highlighted the scene’s horror—overturned carriages, passengers breaking windows to escape, and rescuers carrying injured individuals on stretchers. Mayor Rafael Moreno described the aftermath as “horrific,” adding that full details about the crash’s cause remain unclear.
