Death Toll Rises to 40 in Spain Train Collision; 3 Days of National Mourning Declared

According to data released by the Andalusian Emergency Center, the number of fatalities in the train accident that occurred yesterday evening in the town of Adamuz, near Cordoba, has reached 40. Currently, 41 people remain hospitalized, with 12 in intensive care. The center also reported that a total of 122 people, including 5 children, received initial medical attention following the crash.

Experts from the Civil Guard’s Criminology Department have joined the efforts to identify the deceased using both fingerprinting and DNA testing.

The Incident: A Fatal Collision The accident involved a high-speed train operated by the Iryo company carrying 317 passengers from Malaga to Madrid. At 19:39 local time, the last three wagons of this train derailed. Tragically, just 20 seconds later, a train operated by Renfe, carrying 100 passengers from Madrid to Huelva on the same route but in the opposite direction, collided with the derailed wagons.

Investigation and Disruption Transport Minister Oscar Puente described the incident as “an extremely strange accident,” noting that the train was new, the tracks had been renovated, and the crash occurred on a straight section of the line. While early findings reported in the Spanish press suggest a rail failure as the primary cause, authorities stated that other hypotheses are not being ruled out. El Pais reported that the 20-second gap between the derailment and the arrival of the second train left “insufficient time to prevent a fatal collision.”

Renfe, the national railway company, announced the cancellation of over 200 services to Andalusia due to the accident.

Government Response Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez cancelled his schedule to visit the site. “Today is a day of great sadness. Every tragedy requires two things: unity in grief and unity in response,” Sánchez stated. “We are all asking ourselves how and why this happened. Time and the work of experts will give us the answer. We will uncover the truth and inform the public with absolute transparency.”