A deadly Sunday night collision between a derailing high-speed train and a second oncoming train in southern Spain left at last 39 dead and over 152 injured.
Spanish public broadcaster RTVE reports that the accident occurred occurred at 07:45 p.m., (local time) when a train from railway operator Iryo bound for Atocha, Madrid derailed at the Adamuz track 1 entrance turnouts and invaded the adjacent track, colliding with a train from railway company Renfe travelling from Madrid to Huelva on an adjacent track.
At press time, at least 39 people were reported dead and 152 injured, five of whom are in critical condition, 24 are in serious condition, and 123 have injuries of varying severity.
“Cell phones kept ringing next to the bodies of the deceased,” attending officers said, and warned that “the number of victims will be higher.”
The cause of the accident is publicly undetermined at press time. RTVE reported that, according to information from Iryio, the high-speed train that derailed had been been inspected four days before the accident on January 15 and was manufactured in 2022. Spanish transport Minister Óscar Puente reportedly described the accident as “rare and difficult to explain.”
Iryo, in brief statement published on social media, said that it “deeply regrets what has happened and has activated all emergency protocols, working closely with the relevant authorities to manage the situation.”
Over 220 Spanish Civil Guard officers have been reportedly deployed to the scene of the train accident in Adamuz. The Central Forensic Team is working to identify the victims.
Footage published by the Spanish outlet AS recorded inside one of the affected trains shows a train operator imparting emergency instructions to the passengers inside the train — urging passengers to remain inside as they did not presently know the current status of the adjacent train tracks. The man is seen advising passengers to stay together and be wary of their cellphone batteries and flashlights, as “they will be needed later.”
Álvaro Fernández Heredia, president of Railway company Renfe, spoke with the National Radio of Spain (RNE) on Monday morning and said that it is will “too early” to know the causes of the accident and asked for “patience and to avoid speculation as much as possible.”
Fernández Heredia explained that the accident occurred on a straight section of track with active safety systems, which makes it particularly unusual.
“We already know from the speed records that the trains were traveling at a speed lower than that assigned to the section,” he said, and suggested that the cause could be related “to some issue with the rolling stock or the infrastructure” but stressed that it will be something that will have to be determined by the Railway Accident Investigation Commission.
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