Horrifying High-Speed Train Crash Leaves at Least 39 Dead

A deadly high-speed train collision in southern Spain has left at least 39 people dead, with officials warning the toll is likely to rise as recovery crews continue working through the wreckage.

Spanish police said Monday that the crash happened Sunday evening around 7:45 p.m. near the town of Adamuz, in the province of Córdoba. One train carrying 289 passengers from Málaga to Madrid derailed at high speed, crossed onto the opposite track, and slammed into an oncoming train traveling from Madrid to Huelva, according to rail authorities.

The impact was catastrophic.

Regional officials said some victims were found hundreds of meters from the crash site, underscoring the sheer force of the collision. Andalusia regional president Juanma Moreno described the scene as a “mass of twisted iron,” adding that more bodies may be discovered once heavy machinery is brought in to lift the mangled carriages.

The head of the second train — which was carrying nearly 200 passengers — absorbed the brunt of the impact, Spain’s transport minister said. Its first two carriages were knocked off the tracks and plunged down a roughly 13-foot embankment, where authorities believe many of the fatalities occurred.

Emergency crews worked through the night, rescuing all survivors by early Monday morning. Officials said at least 159 people were injured, including 11 adults and one child listed in critical condition.

Witnesses described scenes of terror inside the trains. Passengers reportedly smashed windows with emergency hammers and climbed out of overturned cars. One journalist who survived the derailment told Spanish broadcaster RTVE that it felt “like an earthquake” when the train left the tracks.

As families searched desperately for loved ones, Spain’s Civil Guard opened an assistance center in the nearby city of Córdoba, allowing relatives to report missing family members and submit DNA samples to help identify victims. Social media quickly filled with posts from people pleading for information about relatives who had been traveling on the trains.

Authorities initially suspected hazardous materials but later ruled that out. There were no signs of fire before the collision, and officials said the cause of the crash remains unknown.

Spain’s transport minister called the incident “truly strange,” noting that it occurred on a flat stretch of track that had been renovated just months ago. He said the derailed train was less than four years old and that both trains were traveling well below the maximum speed limit.

Renfe, Spain’s public rail operator, said preliminary information suggests human error may be ruled out, pointing instead to possible mechanical or infrastructure issues. The private rail company Iryo, which operated the derailed train, said the train had passed a safety inspection just days earlier and pledged full cooperation with investigators.

Train service between Madrid and several cities in Andalusia was suspended Monday as investigators examined the site.

Pedro Sánchez expressed condolences to the victims’ families, calling it “a night of deep pain for our country.” He is expected to visit the crash site.

Spain has one of the largest and most heavily used high-speed rail networks in Europe, carrying tens of millions of passengers each year. Sunday’s collision marks the first deadly accident on Spain’s high-speed rail system since it began operations in 1992.

As recovery efforts continue and investigators search for answers, the country is mourning one of its deadliest rail disasters in more than a decade — a tragedy that has shaken confidence in a system long viewed as one of Europe’s safest.