Madrid: At least 21 people were killed and dozens more injured after a high-speed train derailed and crashed into another oncoming train in southern Spain, pushing the second train off the tracks and down a railway embankment, police sources confirmed.
The accident occurred near the town of Adamuz in Córdoba province, about 360 kilometres south of Madrid. Of the 75 people taken to hospital, 15 were reported to be in serious condition, Andalusia regional government chief Juanma Moreno said.
“The forcefulness of the accident has been very strong… we will likely find more corpses,” Moreno noted, adding that heavy machinery would be required to remove the mangled metal of the trains to locate additional victims. The 27-year-old driver of the Madrid-to-Huelva train, which was struck in the collision, was among those killed.
Esperando a los autobuses que nos lleven a Madrid. Los pasajeros seguimos aquí en la nave del Coro Romero Virgen del Sol @rne @rtvenoticias @radio5_rne confiemos en que el bus tenga enchufe. pic.twitter.com/jX9iUXUuKk
— Salvador Jiménez (@svjimenez) January 18, 2026
Authorities stated that there were around 400 passengers travelling on the two trains, most of them Spaniards commuting to and from Madrid after the weekend. The Renfe-operated train travelling from Madrid to Huelva was moving at around 200 kilometres per hour at the moment of impact. The speed of the first train when it derailed remains unknown.
Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente said that the cause of the crash was still unclear and described it as ‘really strange,’ noting that the derailment occurred on a straight section of track that had been renewed in May. Speaking at a press conference at Madrid’s Atocha station, Puente said investigations were ongoing.
The accident took place at around 7:45 p.m. (1845 GMT), roughly 10 minutes after the Iryo-operated train left Córdoba heading towards Madrid. Rail infrastructure operator Adif said in a social media post that the Iryo 6189 Malaga–Madrid train derailed at Adamuz and crashed onto an adjacent track, causing the Madrid-to-Huelva train to also derail.
Puente said most of the deaths and injuries occurred in the first two carriages of the Renfe Alvia train, which derailed on impact and plunged down the embankment. The first carriage had 37 passengers, and the second had 16 at the time of the crash.
The Iryo train, travelling from Malaga to Madrid, was carrying more than 300 passengers, while the Renfe train had around 100 on board. Emergency services managed to evacuate passengers from the Iryo train within hours, but rescue efforts on the Renfe carriages were far more complex due to extensive damage.
Córdoba fire chief Paco Carmona highlighted that the Renfe carriages were severely crushed, with twisted metal and seats complicating rescue efforts. He confirmed that some people were still trapped and remarked that operations were focused on extracting victims from very narrow spaces. “We have to remove the bodies to reach anyone who is still alive. It is proving to be a complicated task,” Carmona added.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez cleared his schedule to address the tragedy, while the King and Queen were following developments with concern, according to a spokesperson. Foreign embassies also sent text messages to staff requesting confirmation of their safety.
Adamuz Mayor Rafael Moreno noted that he was among the first to arrive at the crash site with local police and described seeing what he believed to be a badly lacerated body several metres from the wreckage. “The scene is horrific,” he said, adding that local authorities and residents were focused on assisting passengers.
Local television footage showed a reception centre set up in Adamuz, a town of around 5,000 residents, where locals brought food and blankets for survivors as overnight temperatures dropped to about 6°C. Tearful passengers were seen disembarking from buses and being guided into the centre.
TVE journalist Salvador Jiménez, who was travelling on the Iryo train, shared images showing the rear carriage lying on its side, with evacuated passengers sitting on the overturned train. He said passengers used emergency hammers to break windows and climb out, and that he saw two people removed from overturned carriages on stretchers.
Iryo is a private rail operator majority-owned by the Italian state-controlled railway group Ferrovie dello Stato. The train involved was a Freccia 1000 service travelling between Malaga and Madrid. The group stated that it deeply regretted the incident and had activated all emergency protocols to cooperate with authorities.
Renfe noted that its train derailed after the Iryo train crashed into its path, adding that emergency services were still recovering passengers. The company said its president was travelling to the crash site and that it was working to support passengers and their families. Rail operator Adif suspended all train services between Madrid and Andalusia as rescue and investigation efforts continued.
ALSO READ | UK temperatures forecast to dip; Increasing chance of snow
