At least 21 people were killed in a devastating train tragedy Sunday evening after a high-speed passenger train derailed and triggered a second derailment in southern Spain, according to Reuters. The crash also injured roughly 100 people and halted major rail routes between Madrid and Andalusia.
The collision occurred around 6:40 p.m. local time near Adamuz in Córdoba province. Police sources said the initial derailment forced a second train off the tracks, compounding the destruction. Reuters reported that 25 of the injured suffered serious wounds, and one of the train drivers died in the crash.
Spain’s rail infrastructure operator Adif said the Iryo 6189 Malaga-to-Madrid train derailed and veered onto an adjacent track. That impact caused a second train traveling from Madrid to Huelva to derail. The crash happened approximately 10 minutes after the Iryo train departed Córdoba.
Officials identified the Iryo train as a Freccia 1000 model carrying more than 300 passengers. The second train, operated by Renfe, had about 100 people onboard. Emergency crews responded quickly, working to evacuate passengers and stabilize the injured amid wreckage scattered along the rail corridor.
One passenger described the chaos moments before the derailment. “Ten minutes after departing, the train started to shake a lot, and it derailed from coach 6 behind us. The lights went out,” she wrote on X.
Video footage showed first responders helping passengers escape through shattered windows. Authorities suspended rail service between Madrid and Andalusia as investigators began examining the cause. The train tragedy followed a deadly rail disaster in Thailand earlier this week, underscoring renewed global concerns about rail safety.
