Tragic Train Collision in Spain Claims 39 Lives

Tue Jan 20 2026 00:29:05 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In southern Spain, a catastrophic train crash resulted in at least 39 fatalities, marking the deadliest rail accident in over a decade. Authorities are investigating the incident as shock and grief envelop the nation.

A devastating train collision in southern Spain led to the deaths of 39 individuals and left dozens injured. The crash involved a derailed train colliding head-on with another passenger train, prompting an extensive emergency response. The crash is being investigated, with officials expressing disbelief over the circumstances surrounding the incident.

At least 39 people have died in a train collision in southern Spain, with dozens more injured in the country's worst rail crash in over a decade, according to Spain's Civil Guard.

Carriages from a Madrid-bound train derailed and crossed into the opposite tracks, colliding with an oncoming train in Adamuz on Sunday evening.

Four hundred passengers and staff were onboard both trains. Emergency services treated 122 people, with 43 still hospitalized, including four children. Among those hospitalized, 12 adults and one child remain in intensive care.

Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente indicated that the death toll is not yet final as officials have launched an investigation into the incident.

Describing the situation as extremely strange, Puente stated that all consulted railway experts are baffled by the accident.

The collision occurred at 7:45 PM local time near Córdoba, shortly after the train departed Málaga for Madrid. The impact caused severe damage, pushing the carriages of the southbound train into an embankment.

The trains involved were Freccia 1000 models capable of reaching speeds of up to 400 km/h (250 mph). Recovery efforts have faced challenges due to the twisted wreckage, with emergency workers describing the scene as extremely difficult.

A passenger, Salvador Jimenez, described the moment of impact as feeling like an earthquake. Footage from the scene showcases the aftermath, with some carriages tipped over and rescue teams scaling the wreckage.

All rail services between Madrid and Andalusia were suspended following the accident, with investigations expected to take at least a month for a conclusion.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Spain's royal family have expressed condolences, and emergency support has been deployed to assist both victims and their families during this tragic time.

The accident echoes the 2013 derailment in Galicia, which was Spain's deadliest in recent history, leading to 80 deaths.