At least ten people have lost their lives in a catastrophic railway disaster that struck on Tuesday afternoon in Adamuz, Córdoba, in southern Spain. Two high-speed trains derailed and slammed into each other on the line linking Madrid to Andalusia, marking one of the country’s most devastating rail tragedies in recent years.
Emergency responders confirmed that nearly 100 passengers were injured, with 25 in critical condition. Authorities warned that the death toll remains preliminary and may increase as rescue operations and medical assessments continue.
How the crash unfolded
Spain’s rail infrastructure authority, Adif, released initial findings on the sequence of events. A high-speed Iryo train traveling from Málaga to Madrid reportedly left the tracks near a set of switches at Adamuz station. The derailed train crossed onto an adjacent line, where it collided with another train heading toward Huelva, causing both trains to derail.
The collision was extremely violent. Several cars overturned, trapping dozens of passengers inside the wreckage. Firefighters and rescue crews worked tirelessly for hours, cutting through twisted metal to reach and evacuate the injured.
“It felt like an earthquake”
One of the survivors, Salvador Jiménez, a journalist with RNE, was aboard the Málaga–Madrid train. He described the moment of impact as terrifying.
“It felt like an earthquake,” he said. “The last two carriages jumped off the tracks, and one of them flipped completely over.”
According to Jiménez, train staff acted swiftly, calling on passengers with medical knowledge to assist and using emergency hammers to smash windows so people could escape.
Rail services halted, authorities respond
Following the tragedy, high-speed rail service between Madrid and Andalusia was suspended, leaving thousands of travelers stranded. Other parts of Spain’s rail network remain operational.
Transport Minister Óscar Puente labeled the crash “devastating” and rushed to Renfe’s H24 operations center at Madrid’s Puerta de Atocha station to oversee the response. Italy’s Foreign Ministry also confirmed it is monitoring the situation to determine whether Italian nationals were among those affected.
Investigation underway
Spanish authorities have opened a formal investigation to uncover the cause of the derailment. One possible factor under review is a malfunction in the track switching system, though officials stress that conclusions will only be drawn after thorough technical inspections.
This heartbreaking incident has once again raised serious concerns about high-speed rail safety in Europe 😔💔
