ADAMUZ, Spain — The death toll from a collision between two high-speed trains in southern Spain rose to 39 on Monday, with 152 people injured, state broadcaster RTVE reported, citing police sources.
The crash occurred Sunday evening near Adamuz in Córdoba province when an Iryo train traveling from Málaga to Madrid derailed and veered onto an adjacent track, where it collided with an oncoming Renfe train bound from Madrid to Huelva.
Rail infrastructure manager Adif said the Iryo train derailed at 6:40 p.m. local time, about 10 minutes after departing Córdoba station. Both trains subsequently derailed.
The driver of the Renfe train from Madrid to Huelva was among the dead, RTVE reported.
The Iryo train, a Freccia 1000 model, was carrying more than 300 passengers. The Renfe train had around 100 passengers on board.
Adif suspended all rail services between Madrid and Andalusia following the accident. Renfe did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Ferrovie dello Stato, the Italian state-controlled railway group that holds a majority stake in private operator Iryo, said it “deeply regretted” the incident and had activated emergency protocols to assist authorities.
Córdoba fire chief Paco Carmona told state television TVE that rescue crews were still working to free trapped passengers from the badly damaged Renfe carriages, which were left with twisted metal and overturned seats.
“There are still people trapped. We don’t know how many have died, and the operation is focused on reaching narrow areas,” Carmona said. “We have to remove bodies to reach anyone who may still be alive. It is proving to be a complicated task.”
Transport Minister Óscar Puente, monitoring developments from Adif headquarters in Madrid, described the impact as “terrible” in a post on X. He said the first two carriages of the Renfe train were thrown off the tracks.
Adamuz Mayor Rafael Moreno, who arrived early at the scene with local police, told El País newspaper the sight was “horrific.” He said a badly lacerated body lay several meters from the wreckage.
Residents of the town of 5,000 set up a reception center for evacuated passengers, bringing food and blankets, images on local television showed.
Passengers on the Iryo train described sudden violent shaking before the derailment began around the sixth carriage. One woman, identified only as Carmen, posted on X that the lights went out moments after the train left Córdoba.
RTVE journalist Salvador Jiménez, who was aboard the Iryo train, shared images of an overturned carriage and said passengers used emergency hammers to break windows and escape. He reported seeing two people carried away on stretchers.
Rescue operations continued into Monday as authorities worked to determine the cause of the derailment.
