At least 39 people have died and 12 remain in intensive care after two trains collided in southern Spain on Sunday evening. The crash occurred near the municipality of Adamuz in Córdoba province when a high-speed Iryo train travelling from Málaga to Madrid derailed and crossed onto another track, hitting an oncoming Renfe train.
The Renfe train, which was travelling from Madrid to Huelva, also derailed and fell down a 4-metre slope. The two trains were carrying about 500 people in total. Emergency services reported that 122 people had been treated for injuries, with 48 still in hospital on Monday morning.
Passengers described scenes of chaos and terror. One woman on the derailed Iryo train said the train tipped to one side before everything went dark and she heard screams. Another passenger said people used emergency hammers to break windows to escape. Firefighters rescued some from the wreckage, but many were trapped in badly damaged carriages.
Spain's transport minister, Óscar Puente, said the cause of the crash was not yet known, describing it as 'really strange' that a derailment occurred on a straight stretch of track that had been renewed in May. He noted that most casualties were in the first two carriages of the second train and speculated that without an oncoming train, there might have been no fatalities.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez cancelled his trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos and visited the crash site. He declared three days of national mourning and promised a full and transparent investigation. 'Spanish society is wondering what happened, how this tragedy could have occurred,' he said.
