A high-speed train derailed in southern Spain on Sunday, colliding with an oncoming train and leaving more than 20 people dead and dozens injured, authorities said.
Train Derailment in Spain Leaves Over 20 Dead
The evening train traveling between Malaga and Madrid went off the rails and struck a train heading from Madrid to Huelva, another city in southern Spain, according to the Spanish rail operator Adif. The two trains were carrying approximately 500 passengers.
Antonio Sanz, health minister for the Andalusia region, stated that officials fear the death toll may exceed 20.
Rescue operations are ongoing, and 73 injured passengers have been transported to six different hospitals, according to Sanz.
At least one passenger carriage rolled down a four-metre slope, officials reported.
Francisco Carmona, the firefighter chief of Cordoba, reported that one of the trains was severely damaged, with at least four wagons derailed.
The situation at the crash site “is very serious,” Sanz said, adding, “We have a very difficult night ahead.”
Maria Belen Moya Rojas, the regional Civil Protection chief, told Canal Sur that the accident occurred in a difficult-to-reach area.
Local residents were providing blankets and water to assist the victims, Rojas said.
Spain’s military emergency relief units have joined the rescue efforts, alongside other units. The Red Cross is also supporting health-care officials.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stated on X that she was following “the terrible news” from Cordoba and expressed her thoughts were with those affected.
Adif announced that train services between Madrid and cities in Andalusia would be suspended on Monday.
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