What caused the Spain train crash? Authorities investigate ‘extremely strange’ incident which killed 39

At least 39 people were killed and dozens more injured after two high-speed trains collided in southern Spain on Sunday evening, in one of the country’s deadliest rail accidents in more than a decade.

The crash happened at 7.45pm local time near Adamuz, a town of about 5,000 people in the province of Córdoba around 360km south of the capital Madrid, according to Spain’s interior ministry.

The tail end of a train run by private high-speed rail operator Iryo, travelling from Málaga to Madrid, got derailed and jumped onto an adjacent track, where it smashed into an oncoming Renfe service travelling from Madrid to Huelva, a municipality in Spain, authorities said. Renfe is Spain’s national state-owned railway company.

Spanish state-owned rail operator Adif said the Iryo train got derailed first and crashed into the second train, pushing it off the tracks and down a railway embankment.

Spain’s transport minister Óscar Puente said the incident was “really strange”, noting that it occurred on a straight stretch of track that had been renewed in May. The high-speed Frecciarossa 1000 train operated by Iryo was carrying more than 300 passengers, according to officials.

The Renfe-operated Madrid–Huelva Alvia train had around 100 to 200 passengers on board, with authorities later saying the worst damage occurred in its first two carriages.

The Renfe train was travelling at around 200kmph at the time of impact, El País reported. It was unclear how fast the Iryo train was moving when it got derailed.

Mr Puente said the rear section of the Iryo train got derailed, while the front section of the Renfe one took the full impact of the collision and plunged several metres down the embankment.

Juanma Moreno, regional president of Andalusia, said at least 75 people were hospitalised, including 15 in serious condition.

Mr Moreno warned early on that the death toll could rise as daylight allowed rescuers to fully access the wreckage.

The Spanish-language daily newspaper El País reported that the 27-year-old driver of the Madrid–Huelva train was among those killed.

Emergency services worked through the night under floodlights in cold conditions, with temperatures dropping to around 6C.

Video footage shared on social media showed rescuers pulling passengers from twisted carriages, while others escaped by climbing through smashed windows or were wheeled away on stretchers.

Cordoba fire chief Paco Carmona said the Renfe train carriages were badly mangled, with twisted metal and seats making access difficult.

“There are still people trapped,” he told Spanish broadcaster TVE. “The operation is concentrating on getting people out of areas which are very narrow.”

Local authorities set up a reception centre in Adamuz, where residents brought food, water and blankets for survivors as buses transported passengers away from the site.

Spain’s military emergency unit, the Red Cross, civil defence teams and regional firefighters were all deployed.

Maria San José, 33, a passenger on the Málaga-Madrid train, told El País: “There are many injured. I am still trembling.”

Another passenger on the Madrid-Huelva train told public broadcaster TVE that luggage fell from shelves and people screamed as the impact threw the carriages sideways.

Journalist Salvador Jiménez, who was travelling on the Iryo train, said the moment of impact “felt like an earthquake”, adding that passengers used emergency hammers to break windows and escape.

Mr Puente said the cause of the derailment is not yet known, adding that an inquiry could take up to a month.

He described the crash as unusual because it occurred on flat track, not a curve, and involved a train less than four years old.

Renfe said the derailment of its train was caused by the Iryo train entering its path, while Iryo said it “deeply regretted” the incident and was cooperating fully with authorities. Rail services between Madrid and Andalusia were suspended, with Adif saying they would not resume until safety checks were completed.

Prime minister Pedro Sánchez said: “Tonight is one of deep sadness for our country.”

Spain’s King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia expressed condolences, while European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said she was following the situation closely.

Spain has the largest high-speed rail network in Europe, with more than 3,100km of track, and the system is widely regarded as safe and heavily used. Renfe said more than 25 million passengers travelled on its high-speed services in 2024.

Spain’s worst rail disaster this century occurred in 2013, when 80 people were killed after a train derailed in Galicia while travelling at excessive speed.

Additional reporting from agencies.