A high-speed train derailed and crashed into an oncoming train in southern Spain on the evening of the 18th of January, sending it tumbling down an embankment; more than 20 people were killed, Reuters reports.
The accident occurred near Adamuza in the province of Cordoba, about 360 kilometers south of the Spanish capital Madrid. 75 people were taken to hospital, with 15 in serious condition. The head of the autonomous region of Andalusia, Juanma Moreno, told reporters that the death toll was likely to exceed 20, and warned that the true situation would only become clear when daylight arrived. He stressed that the collision was very strong and heavy machinery was needed to remove the train wreckage.
The two trains were carrying about 400 passengers, most of them Spaniards traveling to or from Madrid after the weekend. It is not known how many tourists may have been on the trains, as January is not a typical tourist season.
Spanish Transport Minister Oscar Puente told reporters that the cause of the collision was not yet known, adding that it was very strange that the collision occurred on a straight section of track.
The particular section of track was renovated in May 2025.
The minister said that most of the dead and injured were in the first two carriages of the hit train. It fell off the embankment after the collision. The first carriage was carrying 37 people, while the second carriage was carrying 16.
Paco Carmora, the head of the Cordoba fire department, said the carriages of the train that caused the collision were evacuated within hours, while the carriages of the other train were badly damaged and people were still trapped. He stressed that the task was very difficult.
The mayor of Adamuz, Rafael Moreno, was among the first to arrive at the scene of the accident, along with local police. He said the area looked terrible and that everything was being done to help the train passengers.
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