High-speed train collision in Spain kills 39, injures over 120
Last updated: January 19, 2026 | 09:31
Members of the Spanish Civil Guard, along with other emergency personnel, work next to one of the trains involved in the accident in Cordoba, Spain, on Monday. Reuters
In this still image from video taken and released on January 19, 2026 by the Spain's Guardia Civil, emergency workers are seen at the site where a high-speed Iryo train derailed and was hit by another train as rescue efforts continue in Adamuz, southern Spain, on January 19, 2026. At least 39 people died and more than 120 injured in the deadliest train accident in Spain in over a decade.
The crash happened on Sunday evening when a train operated by rail company Iryo travelling from Malaga to Madrid derailed near Adamuz, crossing onto the other track where it crashed into an oncoming train, which also derailed. (Photo by Handout / Guardia Civil / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / GUARDIA CIVIL" - HANDOUT - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS
A person affected by a deadly train derailment is transferred for treatment to the Caseta Municipal in the town of Adamuz, after a high-speed train derailed and collided with another oncoming train near Cordoba, Spain, January 18, 2026. REUTERS/Alex Gallegos TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
A high-speed train derailed and was hit by another in southern Spain killing 39 people and injuring more than 120, authorities said on Monday, saying the country's worst train in over a decade was "extremely strange."
Efforts to recover the bodies continued Monday, and the death toll is likely to rise. Authorities are also focusing on attending hundreds of distraught family members and have asked for them to provide DNA samples to help in the identification of the victims.
The crash occurred late on Sunday at 7:45pm when the tail end of a train carrying 289 passengers on the route from Malaga to the capital, Madrid, went off the rails. It slammed into an incoming train traveling from Madrid to Huelva, another southern Spanish city, according to rail operator Adif.
Ana, one of the victims of a deadly derailment of two high-speed trains, looks on at the Citizen Help Centre while seeking her missing dog, which travelled with her and her sister, now hospitalised. Reuters
It was the deadliest train accident since 2013, when 80 people died after a train veered off a curved section of track outside the northwestern city of Santiago de Compostela.
The interior ministry said at least 39 people died, raising the toll from 21 given by police late on Sunday.
Another 123 people were injured, including five very seriously and 24 seriously, a ministry spokeswoman added.
Emergency personnel work after a train accident in Adamuz, southern Spain, on Sunday. AFP
Transport Minister Oscar Puente told reporters the disaster took place on a straight part of the track, which was completely renovated,.
The first train to derail was "practically new", making the accident "extremely strange", he added.
Rail experts "are very surprised by this accident because it is very strange and very difficult to explain at this stage," the minister said.
‘Hard, tricky work’
Rail operator Iryo said around 300 people were on board its Malaga-Madrid service.
Renfe, the operator of the second train, has not said how many passengers it was carrying.
Spain has Europe's largest high-speed rail network, with more than 3,000 kilometres (1,800 miles) of dedicated tracks connecting major cities including Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Valencia, and Malaga.
People affected by a deadly train derailment are treated at the Caseta Municipal in the town of Adamuz, Spain, on Sunday. Reuters
The hundreds of passengers left in the wreckage hampered the frantic work of emergency services.
"The problem is that the carriages are twisted, so the metal is twisted with the people inside," Francisco Carmona, head of firefighters in Cordoba, told public broadcaster RTVE.
"We have even had to remove a dead person to be able to reach someone alive. It is hard, tricky work," he added.
Some of the carriages had tumbled down an embankment of four metres (13 feet), Sanz said.
‘Like a horror movie’
A passenger on the second train, bound for the city of Huelva, who gave only her first name Montse, told Spanish public television the train, "with a jolt, came to a complete stop, and everything went dark".
She described being thrown around in the last carriage and seeing luggage tumble on other passengers.
"The attendant behind me hit her head and was bleeding. There were children crying," she added. "Luckily, I was in the last car. I feel like I was given a second chance at life."
Survivor Lucas Meriako, who was travelling on the first train that derailed, told La Sexta television that "this looks like a horror movie".
People affected by a deadly train derailment are transferred and treated at the Caseta Municipal in the town of Adamuz, Spain, on Sunday. Reuters
"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.
High-speed services between Madrid and the Andalusian cities of Cordoba, Seville, Malaga and Huelva would be suspended on Monday, Adif announced.
‘Night of deep pain’
"Today is a night of deep pain for our country owing to the tragic rail accident in Adamuz," Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez wrote on X.
"No words can alleviate such great suffering, but I want them to know that the whole country is by their side in this tough moment," he added.
This video grab shows emergency personnel working after a train accident in Adamuz, southern Spain, on Sunday. AFP
The royal palace said on X that Spain's King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia were following the news "with great concern", offering "our most heartfelt condolences to the relatives and loved ones of the dead, as well as our love and wishes for a swift recovery to the injured".
French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen were among the world leaders offering condolences.
