At least 21 killed as high-speed trains collide in southern Spain

UPDATE: The death toll from the train collision has now risen to 39, with 152 people injured, according to a state broadcaster RTVE, as of 19 Januart 2026, 3:00 p.m. Philippine time.

At least 21 people have died and more than 70 were injured after a high-speed train derailed and collided with an oncoming service in southern Spain on Sunday, authorities said. The death toll is expected to rise.

The accident occurred near the town of Adamuz in Cordoba province when a train operated by Iryo, traveling from Malaga to Madrid with around 300 passengers, derailed and crossed onto an adjacent track. It collided with a Renfe train from Madrid to Huelva carrying about 100 passengers, according to the rail network operator Adif.

Spain’s Transport Minister Oscar Puente described the incident as “extremely strange,” noting the derailment happened on a straight stretch of track that had been renovated in May last year. The cause of the crash has not yet been determined, and investigators said it could take at least a month to reach conclusions.

Rescue operations were complicated by the twisted wreckage. Cordoba fire chief Francisco Carmona said crews had to remove deceased passengers to reach survivors. Some carriages had fallen four meters down an embankment, further hampering recovery efforts.

Local authorities and emergency teams, including Spain’s Red Cross and military emergency units, assisted with evacuations and provided support to families. Spaces were set up at stations in Madrid, Seville, Cordoba, Malaga, and Huelva for relatives of victims.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called it a “night of deep pain” and pledged support for victims and families. King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia expressed their condolences, while French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also offered sympathies.

Passengers described the crash as terrifying. RTVE journalist Salvador Jiménez, aboard the Iryo train, said, “There was a moment when it felt like an earthquake and the train had indeed derailed.” Survivors had to use emergency hammers to escape through windows.

All high-speed train services between Madrid and Andalusian cities, including Cordoba, Seville, Malaga, and Huelva, were suspended following the accident and will remain closed at least through Monday.

Spain, which operates Europe’s largest high-speed rail network, suffered its deadliest train accident in 2013, when 80 people were killed in a derailment in Galicia.