Accidents & Disasters
High-Speed Train Collision in Southern Spain Kills 39, Dozens Injured
AI Summary
A high-speed train crash near Adamuz, Cordoba, southern Spain, has killed at least 39 people and injured over 150. Survivors described chaos as carriages derailed and smashed, while authorities investigate the cause. Over 130 train services have been canceled, and rescue operations continue.
At least 39 people have died and over 150 others injured in a high-speed train collision in southern Spain, near Adamuz in the province of Cordoba. The accident occurred at 7:45pm local time on Sunday when the tail end of a train traveling from Malaga to Madrid collided with a train coming from Madrid to Huelva.
With a jolt, came to a complete stop, and everything went dark.
Survivors described the chaos onboard. Montse, a passenger on the Huelva-bound train, said, “With a jolt, [the train] came to a complete stop, and everything went dark.” She added that she was thrown around in the last carriage, saw luggage hit other passengers, and witnessed an attendant bleeding. “Luckily, I was in the last car. I feel like I was given a second chance at life,” she said. Another survivor, Lucas Meriako, described the scene as “like a horror movie” and noted injuries from shattered glass.
like a horror movie.
Spanish Transport Minister Oscar Puente said the cause of the crash is still unknown. He described the incident as “truly strange” because it happened on a flat, renovated stretch of track in May. The first train, operated by private company Iryo, derailed at the back and struck the front two carriages of the Renfe train, which slid down a 13-foot slope. Puente said a full investigation could take up to a month.
The collision has led to the cancellation of over 130 train services connecting Madrid with Andalusian cities including Seville, Malaga, Cordoba, and Huelva. Rail operator Renfe is offering refunds and free changes, while Adif, Spain’s rail infrastructure manager, has set up a hotline for relatives of victims.
Spain has the largest high-speed rail network in Europe, with trains reaching speeds of over 250 km/h (155 mph) and a total track length of more than 3,100 km (1,900 miles). Despite its safety record, Spain has seen deadly train accidents before, including the 2013 derailment in the northwest that killed 80 people.
I wish the injured a swift and full recovery.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed her condolences, saying, “I wish the injured a swift and full recovery.” Rescue teams continue to pull passengers from derailed carriages, and hospitals in Andalusia have treated dozens, with 75 admitted in serious condition. Around 400 passengers were onboard both trains, most Spaniards traveling to and from Madrid after the weekend.
Details: Urooba Jamal/Al Jazeera
Images: Susana Vera/Reuters