Madrid/Adamuz, Jan 19: At least 39 people were killed and 152 injured after a high-speed passenger train derailed and crashed into an oncoming train in southern Spain on Sunday, pushing the second train off the tracks, police sources said.
According to Reuters, the accident occurred near Adamuz in Cordoba province when an Iryo-operated high-speed train travelling from Malaga to Madrid derailed and struck a Renfe train bound for Huelva, west of Seville. The driver of one of the trains heading from Madrid to Huelva was among those killed, state broadcaster Television Espanola reported.
Spain’s rail infrastructure operator Adif said the accident took place at 6:40 pm (1740 GMT), around 10 minutes after the Iryo train departed Cordoba for Madrid. “The Iryo 6189 Malaga–Madrid train derailed at Adamuz and crashed onto the adjacent track. The Madrid–Huelva train travelling on that track also derailed,” Adif said in a social media post.
The Iryo train, a Freccia 1000 model, had more than 300 passengers on board, while the Renfe train was carrying around 100 people. Iryo, a private operator majority-owned by Italy’s state-controlled Ferrovie dello Stato, said it deeply regretted the incident and had activated all emergency protocols to cooperate with authorities. Renfe did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Rail services between Madrid and Andalusia were suspended following the crash. The cause of the initial derailment was not immediately known. Transport Minister Oscar Puente said the train involved was only a few years old and the affected track section had been recently replaced.
Rescue operations continued late into the night, with emergency teams working to evacuate passengers and free people trapped in damaged carriages. Cordoba fire chief Paco Carmona described scenes of twisted metal and seats, calling the rescue effort “complex.” Local authorities and residents set up a reception centre in Adamuz to assist survivors with food and blankets amid cold nighttime temperatures.
Puente said the situation was “very serious” and stressed that assisting victims remained the top priority as investigations into the cause of the disaster began. (Agencies)
