Two high-speed trains collide in southern Spain, killing at least 21

Two high-speed passenger trains derailed and collided on the evening of Jan. 18 near Adamuz in Córdoba province, Andalusia, killing at least 21 people and injuring dozens as emergency crews battled wreckage scattered along a straight, recently renovated stretch of track. Officials said the first derailment occurred at about 7:45 p.m. local time when the rear cars of Iryo 6189, an Iryo service from Málaga to Madrid carrying roughly 300 passengers, left the track, crossed onto the opposite line and struck a Renfe service running from Madrid to Huelva, which was carrying about 200 people.

The impact knocked the Madrid–Huelva train’s first two carriages off the rails and sent them down a four‑meter embankment. Córdoba firefighter chief Francisco Carmona said one of the trains was “badly mangled.” State broadcaster Television Española reported that the driver of the Madrid–Huelva train was among those who died.

Authorities working at the scene described a chaotic night as regional ambulances, firefighters and the Red Cross treated and evacuated the injured and recovered victims from mangled carriages. Andalusian officials initially confirmed 21 fatalities, a figure Transport Minister Óscar Puente reiterated after midnight while cautioning the toll could rise as inquiries continued. Andalusian Health Minister Antonio Sanz reported that at least 73 injured people were being treated at six hospitals. Other outlets put the number of injured as high as about 100, with TVE saying 25 were seriously hurt, underscoring discrepancies in early counts as rescue operations unfolded. Puente said rescues had removed all the survivors by after midnight.

Infrastructure operator Adif and the rail companies coordinated at the site while civil protection authorities activated the emergency phase of Andalusia’s response plan. Adif provided an initial sequence of events describing a tail-end derailment that crossed onto an adjacent track and collided head-on with the oncoming service. Iryo said it “deeply lamented what has happened” and activated emergency protocols to assist authorities and passengers. Puente described the accident as “truly strange,” noting the collision occurred on a straight section of line that had been renovated in May and that the derailed Iryo train was less than four years old.

High-speed service between Madrid and Andalusia was suspended following the crash, with long-distance trains redirected or halted and staff coordinating with emergency teams. Commercial regional services on other corridors were reported operating normally. Adif and national investigators joined operators in opening an inquiry; Puente estimated a formal investigation could take about a month.

Beyond the immediate human toll, the crash raises questions about the safety and resilience of Spain’s high-speed network, which spans roughly 3,000 kilometers and is a central pillar of national mobility. Regulators and markets will watch whether investigators find signalling failure, rolling-stock defect, human error or track infrastructure fault, and whether the findings trigger accelerated inspections, regulatory changes or additional capital spending on maintenance and safety systems. For operators and the government, the priority will be recovering services and public confidence while assessing the economic costs of the disruption and the policy response that follows.