ADAMUZ, Spain,
Spain is seeking answers after a collision between two high-speed trains in the southern region of Andalusia left at least 40 people dead, prompting the government to pledge a full and transparent investigation into one of the country’s deadliest rail disasters in more than a decade.
The crash occurred late on Sunday when a high-speed train operated by private rail company Iryo, travelling from Malaga to Madrid, derailed near the town of Adamuz. The train crossed onto an adjacent track and collided with an oncoming service, which was travelling towards the southern city of Huelva and also derailed.
The head of the Andalusian regional government, Juan Manuel Moreno, confirmed on Monday that 40 deaths had been recorded, revising the toll upward from earlier figures. He warned that it could take up to two days to establish a definitive number of victims, as rescue and recovery operations continued at the scene.
Heavy machinery was deployed on Monday to lift severely damaged carriages and allow emergency teams better access to the wreckage. More than 120 people were injured in the crash, with 41 remaining hospitalised in the nearby city of Cordoba, regional officials said.
The incident is Spain’s deadliest train accident since 2013, when 80 people were killed after a train derailed near Santiago de Compostela in the country’s northwest. Unlike that crash, officials said Sunday’s derailment occurred on a straight section of track and that both trains were travelling within permitted speed limits.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited the site of the crash on Monday, declaring three days of national mourning. “This is a day of sorrow for all of Spain,” he told reporters. “We will uncover the answer, and once the cause of this tragedy is determined, it will be presented with absolute transparency.”
Transport Minister Óscar Puente described the circumstances of the crash as “extremely strange”, noting that the Iryo train involved was almost new and that the section of track had recently undergone renovation. Iryo said the locomotive was built in 2022 and had been inspected just three days before the accident, adding that it veered onto the adjacent track for reasons that remain unknown.
Around 300 passengers were on board the Iryo service, the company said. State-owned operator Renfe, which ran the second train, confirmed it was carrying 184 passengers.
Renfe’s president, Álvaro Fernández Heredia, told Spanish radio that human error had been “practically ruled out” and said excessive speed was not a factor. Both trains were travelling at just over 200 kilometres per hour, below the 250 kilometre-per-hour limit for that section of line, he said, suggesting the cause may lie with rolling stock or infrastructure.
Aerial footage released by Spain’s Guardia Civil showed the two trains resting far apart along the track, with emergency crews in high-visibility clothing working amid twisted metal. As news of the disaster spread, relatives and friends of missing passengers turned to social media, sharing photographs and appeals for information.
Spain operates Europe’s largest high-speed rail network, with more than 3,000 kilometres of dedicated track linking major cities including Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Valencia and Malaga. The system has long been regarded as a symbol of modern Spanish infrastructure.
Survivors described scenes of chaos and fear inside the trains. Lucas Meriako, who was travelling on the first service to derail, told Spanish television it felt “like a horror movie”. “We felt a very strong hit from behind and the sense that the whole train was about to collapse,” he said, adding that many passengers were injured by shattered glass.
In Adamuz, a small town known for its whitewashed buildings and olive groves, residents rushed to help as emergency services arrived. Local people brought water, blankets and other supplies to the town hall to assist survivors.
Messages of condolence poured in from abroad, including from Pope Leo XIV and French President Emmanuel Macron, as Spain continued to mourn and investigators worked to determine how the tragedy unfolded.
