At least 21 killed, over 70 injured in deadly train collision in Spain

At least 21 people were killed, and more than 70 were injured after a deadly collision between two high-speed trains in Spain's southern region of Andalusia, with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez lamenting a “night of deep pain”. The disaster struck on Sunday (Jan 18) evening when a service travelling from Malaga to Madrid derailed near Adamuz, crossing onto the other track where it crashed into an oncoming train, which also derailed. The second train was bound for the city of Huelva.

Spain’s Adif rail network operator said that the high-speed services between Madrid and the Andalusian cities of Cordoba, Seville, Malaga and Huelva will be suspended on Monday. It added that spaces have been set up at stations in Madrid, Seville, Cordoba, Malaga and Huelva to assist the relatives of the victims.

‘Night of deep pain’

“Today is a night of deep pain for our country owing to the tragic rail accident in Adamuz,” Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez wrote on X. “No words can alleviate such great suffering, but I want them to know that the whole country is by their side in this tough moment.”

Antonio Sanz, the top emergencies official in Andalusia, told a press conference that at least 73 people were injured in the accident. “The situation is likely to see the death toll increase,” he said, adding that “a very complicated night awaits us.” He added that some of the carriages had tumbled down an embankment of four metres.

Rescue operations

Meanwhile, Transport Minister Oscar Puente told reporters that 30 people were rushed to the hospital in serious condition. He added that all those who were injured have been evacuated. The accident happened on a straight part of the track, which was completely renovated. Puente said that the first train to derail was “practically new”, which made the accident “extremely strange.”

According to rail operator Iryo, about 300 people were on board the Malaga-Madrid train. Hundreds of people were left in the wreckage as the emergency services raced to evacuate the passengers. Spain’s defence ministry said it was sending about 40 personnel of its emergency military unit and 15 vehicles to the site of the accident.

“The problem is that the carriages are twisted, so the metal is twisted with the people inside,” Francisco Carmona, head of firefighters in Cordoba, told public broadcaster RTVE. “We have even had to remove a dead person to be able to reach someone alive. It is hard, tricky work.”

World leaders, including French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, offered condolences after the devastating train collision.

Survivors recall ‘horror’

Witnesses recalled the deadly incident, which they described as looking “like a horror movie.” The train, “with a jolt, came to a complete stop, and everything went dark,” said Montse, a passenger on the second train.

“The attendant behind me hit her head and was bleeding. There were children crying,” she told Spanish public television. “Luckily, I was in the last car. I feel like I was given a second chance at life.”

Another survivor travelling on the first train, Lucas Meriako, told La Sexta television that “this looks like a horror movie”. He said, “We felt a very strong hit from behind and the feeling that the whole train was about to collapse, break... there were many injured due to the glass.”