Spain, Jan 19 : At least 21 people were killed and several others injured after two high-speed trains collided in southern Spain’s Córdoba province on Sunday evening, triggering one of the country’s deadliest rail accidents in recent years.
The crash involved an Iryo passenger train and an AVE high-speed service operated by state-run Renfe. Authorities have suspended all rail traffic between Madrid and Andalusia as emergency teams continue rescue, medical, and assessment operations.
According to officials quoted by Euro News, the accident occurred near Adamuz when the Iryo train, travelling from Malaga to Madrid-Puerta de Atocha with around 300 passengers on board, derailed and crossed onto an adjacent track before colliding with the oncoming AVE train.
Passengers Describe ‘Earthquake-Like’ Impact
Passengers described panic and chaos in the immediate aftermath of the collision. Videos circulating on social media showed severely damaged and twisted carriages, with some coaches crushed by the force of the impact.
Witnesses said the collision felt “like an earthquake”, forcing passengers to break windows using emergency hammers to escape. Several people suffered cuts and injuries while climbing out, while others reported smoke inside the carriages and required urgent medical attention.
Salvador Jimenez, a journalist with Spanish public broadcaster RTVE who was travelling on the Iryo train, said the last two coaches derailed, with one completely overturned.
“We left Malaga on time at 6:40 pm. Suddenly, it felt like an earthquake and the train derailed,” he said.
Rail Services Suspended, Investigation Launched
Spain’s rail infrastructure operator ADIF confirmed that all services between Madrid and Andalusia remain suspended until further notice. Emergency services were deployed immediately and continue to work at the site in coordination with local authorities, Renfe, and Iryo.
The Red Cross has mobilised multiple ambulances from Córdoba and Jaén and is providing basic supplies to passengers from both trains, according to Euro News.
Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente said he was monitoring the situation from the ADIF Operations Control Centre, while Madrid regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso confirmed hospitals in the capital are on standby.
Support teams have also been deployed at Madrid’s Atocha station to assist families of those affected.
Authorities have launched a formal investigation to determine the cause of the derailment and subsequent collision.