Southern Spain was rocked by a catastrophic rail accident on Sunday evening after a high-speed passenger train derailed and collided with another train travelling in the opposite direction, resulting in at least 21 deaths and leaving dozens injured, officials confirmed.
The accident occurred around 7:45 pm local time near Cordoba, when the rear section of a high-speed train travelling from Malaga to Madrid unexpectedly jumped the tracks. The derailed coaches crossed into the opposite rail line and crashed head-on into another passenger train heading from Madrid to Huelva.
According to Spanish authorities, the first train was carrying approximately 300 passengers, while the second had around 200 people onboard at the time of the collision.
Spain’s Transport Minister Oscar Puente, addressing the media after midnight, confirmed the death toll and said all survivors had been evacuated from the wreckage. However, he cautioned that the number of fatalities could still increase as identification procedures continue.
Calling the incident “highly unusual,” Puente said the crash took place on a straight, level stretch of railway track that had undergone renovation just months ago, in May. He also revealed that the derailed train was less than four years old, deepening concerns over what caused the disaster.
The derailed train was operated by private rail company Iryo, while the second train involved belonged to state-run operator Renfe. In a statement, Iryo expressed deep regret over the tragedy and said it was fully cooperating with investigators.
Emergency officials described scenes of chaos at the crash site. Francisco Carmona, Cordoba’s fire services chief, said several train coaches were severely crushed, with at least four wagons completely off the tracks. The front section of the Renfe train suffered the most damage, with two carriages pushed down a four-metre slope following the impact.
Andalusia’s regional health minister Antonio Sanz confirmed that 73 injured passengers were rushed to six hospitals across the region. “This is a very serious situation. It has been an extremely difficult night for rescue teams,” he said.
