Several feared dead after high-speed trains derail on Spanish rail network

A serious rail accident involving two high-speed trains near Adamuz in the province of Córdoba has resulted in ten fatalities and left multiple people injured, according to sources from the Guardia Civil. Emergency services were rushed to the scene and are continuing rescue operations, including efforts to reach passengers who were trapped following the derailment. The Iryo-operated train involved was carrying around 300 people at the time of the incident, and the cause of the crash has yet to be determined.

Spain’s rail infrastructure manager Adif said the derailment involved an Iryo high-speed service that left Málaga at 18:40 bound for Madrid Puerta de Atocha. About ten minutes into the journey, the train came off the tracks at the entry junctions to Adamuz and intruded onto a neighbouring line. This resulted in damage to carriages seven and eight of another train travelling towards Huelva. Official sources said Renfe has so far been unable to make contact with the driver of that second service.

Adif confirmed that passengers from both trains were evacuated after the incident. Firefighters and emergency response teams were deployed and have verified that there are injured passengers, although no official total has been released. As a result of the derailment, high-speed rail services between Madrid and Andalusia have been suspended, while the rest of the national rail network continues to operate normally.

Transport Minister Óscar Puente travelled to Renfe’s H-24 emergency coordination centre at Madrid’s Atocha station to oversee the response and follow developments. At the scene in Adamuz, the town’s Socialist mayor, Rafael Ángel Moreno, said he was unable to provide further details as the emergency operation continued.

The President of the Andalusian regional government, Juanma Moreno, expressed his concern on social media over what he described as a “serious railway accident”, confirming that emergency services and logistical support had been sent to assist those affected. Andalusia’s 112 emergency service reported that five mobile 061 UNIs, a logistical support vehicle and four critical emergency care units were dispatched to the area.

Among the passengers was RTVE journalist Salvador Jiménez, who described feeling a violent jolt that he compared to an “earthquake”. He said passengers used emergency hammers to break windows and open doors before leaving the train. Speaking in a television interview, Jiménez said the aftermath involved hours of “great uncertainty” and that passengers were waiting to learn how they would be transported onward by coach.

Image: El Pais