Spanish authorities reported on Monday that at least 39 people were killed after two high-speed trains collided in southern Spain, while rescue operations continued.
The accident occurred on Sunday afternoon near the town of Adamuz in the province of Cordoba, when one high-speed train derailed, crossed onto the opposite track, and crashed into an oncoming train. Emergency teams worked through the night, searching the wreckage for survivors.
Dozens more were injured, officials said. Around 400 passengers were on the two trains, though it was unclear how many were tourists, as January is not a holiday period in Spain.
The Spanish Red Cross opened a support center in Adamuz to help emergency workers and relatives seeking information. Members of the civil guard and civil defense remained at the site overnight.
Transport Minister Oscar Puente said on X that the first two wagons of the second train were “thrown off” the tracks and described reports from the scene as “very grave.” He stressed that the cause of the crash is not yet known.
Puente called the accident “strange,” noting it happened on a straight section of track that had been renovated in May at a cost of €700 million ($728 million). He added that the track was supposed to be in perfect condition and the train was relatively new at just four years old.
Adamuz Mayor Rafael Moreno, who was among the first to arrive at the site, described the scene as horrific, saying he saw “a passenger reduced to rags” in the darkness of the night.
Spain experienced one of its deadliest rail disasters in 2013 when a high-speed train from Madrid to Galicia derailed, killing 79 people and injuring 179.
