A high-speed train collision near Adamuz kills 40, with an investigation launched into the “extremely strange” derailment on a recently renovated track.
ADAMUZ: The death toll from a high-speed train collision in southern Spain has risen to 40 as authorities launch a full investigation.
The crash late on Sunday is Spain’s deadliest rail accident since 2013, when 80 people died near Santiago de Compostela.
An Iryo train travelling from Malaga to Madrid derailed near Adamuz in Andalusia and crossed onto the opposite track.
It then collided with an oncoming train operated by Renfe, causing both to derail.
The head of the regional government of Andalucia, Juan Manuel Moreno, confirmed the updated death toll at a news conference.
He said it would take 24 to 48 hours to know the final number of fatalities with certainty.
Heavy machinery was deployed to lift severely damaged carriages and improve rescue access.
Over 120 people were injured, with 41 still hospitalised in the nearby city of Cordoba.
Relatives of missing passengers have turned to social media, posting photos in an effort to locate them.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez declared three days of national mourning during a visit to Adamuz.
“We will uncover the answer, and once the cause of this tragedy is determined, we will present it with absolute transparency,” he told reporters.
Aerial footage showed the two trains far apart as rescuers in high-visibility vests worked at the site.
Officials stated the derailment occurred on a straight section of track, with both trains travelling within the speed limit.
Transport Minister Oscar Puente said the first train was “practically new” and the track section was recently renovated.
He described the accident as “extremely strange”.
Train operator Iryo said the locomotive was built in 2022 and last inspected just three days before the crash.
It stated the train “veered onto the adjacent track for still unknown reasons”.
Iryo said around 300 people were on board its service from Malaga to Madrid.
Renfe reported its second train, travelling to Huelva, was carrying 184 passengers.
Renfe president Alvaro Fernandez Heredia told Spanish public radio that human error has “been practically ruled out”.
He also ruled out speeding, noting both trains were travelling just over 200 kilometres per hour below the 250 km/h limit.
“It must be related to Iryo’s rolling stock or an infrastructure issue,” he added.
Survivor Lucas Meriako, who was on the first train, told La Sexta television the scene looked “like a horror movie”.
“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,” he said.
Residents in Adamuz rushed to the town hall with supplies like water and blankets as news of the disaster spread.
Pope Leo XIV and French President Emmanuel Macron were among world leaders offering condolences.
