At least 5 dead after two Spanish high-speed trains collide in Cordoba

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The accident, which has left at least five people dead and several injured, occurred when the train, which was covering the route between Málaga and Madrid-Puerta de Atocha, derailed at Adamuz. The train by the private high-speed rail operator Irya, left the track at around 19:45, invaded the adjacent track and collided with another high-speed train that was travelling in the opposite direction, from the capital towards Huelva. The second train was operated by Spanish State railway company Renfe.

From the scene of the incident, passengers have shared video footage of the event, in the images it can be seen how several carriages of the train have been seriously damaged. Several people were trapped inside the carriages.

Spanish railway infrastructure operator ADIF has suspended all train services between Madrid and Andalusia until further notice and confirmed the deployment of emergency services at the scene of the accident, where they will work all night long together with the authorities, Renfe and Iryo.

Testimonies from inside

Passengers who remain in the carriages have begun to disseminate images and messages through social networks. A witness has explained that the blow felt like an earthquake. Passengers had to break the windows of the trains in order to escape from them, which has caused several injuries due to cuts.

Salvador Jiménez, a journalist from Spanish public broadcaster RTVE who was travelling on the train leaving Malaga, explained that the last two carriages were derailed and one of them “completely overturned”.

“We left Malaga on time at 18.40 with destination Madrid, I was in the first carriage. There was a moment when it felt like an earthquake and the train had indeed derailed. They called immediately to see if there were people in the health service who could help, they took hammers to break the windows and in the end they evacuated us”, explained Jiménez.

Several passengers reported the presence of smoke inside the trains and have requested medical assistance to attend to some passengers with injuries.

So far, the exact number of injured has not been confirmed, but Guardia Civil sources have confirmed that at least five people are dead.

Transport minister on the case

The authorities continue to assess the situation while emergency teams access the scene to attend to those affected and determine the extent of the incident.

The Red Cross has mobilised a medical ambulance from Cordoba and three other ambulances from Jaen. It will also send basic necessities for the passengers on both trains involved in the accident. Psychosocial care teams are on pre-alert in case their intervention is necessary.

The Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, has posted his X account that he is already in the ADIF Operations Control Centre, closely following the last hour of the serious accident “I will keep you informed here of the news that is confirmed”, he added.

The President of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, has offered the help of Madrid’s hospitals to attend to the injured: “The hospitals of the Community of Madrid and the SUMMA 112 teams are awaiting the tragic accident in Cordoba and are at the disposal of the Andalusian Regional Government. Support teams will be deployed in Atocha to accompany the relatives”, Ayuso has published in X.

Investigations to identify the causes of the initial derailment have begun.