At least 39 folks had been killed and dozens extra injured after two high-speed trains collided in southern Spain on Sunday night, in one of many nation’s deadliest rail accidents in additional than a decade.
The crash occurred at 7.45pm native time close to Adamuz, a city of about 5,000 folks within the province of Córdoba round 360km south of the capital Madrid, in line with Spain’s inside ministry.
The tail finish of a practice run by personal high-speed rail operator Iryo, travelling from Málaga to Madrid, bought derailed and jumped onto an adjoining observe, the place it smashed into an oncoming Renfe service travelling from Madrid to Huelva, a municipality in Spain, authorities mentioned. Renfe is Spain’s nationwide state-owned railway firm.
Spanish state-owned rail operator Adif mentioned the Iryo practice bought derailed first and crashed into the second practice, pushing it off the tracks and down a railway embankment.
Spain’s transport minister Óscar Puente mentioned the incident was “really strange”, noting that it occurred on a straight stretch of observe that had been renewed in May. The high-speed Frecciarossa 1000 practice operated by Iryo was carrying greater than 300 passengers, in line with officers.
The Renfe-operated Madrid–Huelva Alvia practice had round 100 to 200 passengers on board, with authorities later saying the worst harm occurred in its first two carriages.
The Renfe practice was travelling at round 200kmph on the time of affect, El País reported. It was unclear how briskly the Iryo practice was shifting when it bought derailed.
Mr Puente mentioned the rear part of the Iryo practice bought derailed, whereas the entrance part of the Renfe one took the complete affect of the collision and plunged a number of metres down the embankment.
Juanma Moreno, regional president of Andalusia, mentioned a minimum of 75 folks had been hospitalised, together with 15 in severe situation.
Mr Moreno warned early on that the loss of life toll might rise as daylight allowed rescuers to totally entry the wreckage.
The Spanish-language each day newspaper The Country reported that the 27-year-old driver of the Madrid–Huelva practice was amongst these killed.
Emergency companies labored by way of the evening underneath floodlights in chilly situations, with temperatures dropping to round 6C.
Video footage shared on social media confirmed rescuers pulling passengers from twisted carriages, whereas others escaped by climbing by way of smashed home windows or had been wheeled away on stretchers.
Cordoba fireplace chief Paco Carmona mentioned the Renfe practice carriages had been badly mangled, with twisted steel and seats making entry troublesome.
“There are still people trapped,” he informed Spanish broadcaster TVE. “The operation is concentrating on getting people out of areas which are very narrow.”
Local authorities arrange a reception centre in Adamuz, the place residents introduced meals, water and blankets for survivors as buses transported passengers away from the positioning.
Spain’s navy emergency unit, the Red Cross, civil defence groups and regional firefighters had been all deployed.
Maria San José, 33, a passenger on the Málaga-Madrid practice, informed The Country: “There are many injured. I am still trembling.”
Another passenger on the Madrid-Huelva practice informed public broadcaster TVE that baggage fell from cabinets and folks screamed because the affect threw the carriages sideways.
Journalist Salvador Jiménez, who was travelling on the Iryo practice, mentioned the second of affect “felt like an earthquake”, including that passengers used emergency hammers to interrupt home windows and escape.
Mr Puente mentioned the reason for the derailment shouldn’t be but recognized, including that an inquiry might take as much as a month.
He described the crash as uncommon as a result of it occurred on flat observe, not a curve, and concerned a practice lower than 4 years outdated.
Renfe mentioned the derailment of its practice was brought on by the Iryo practice getting into its path, whereas Iryo mentioned it “deeply regretted” the incident and was cooperating totally with authorities. Rail companies between Madrid and Andalusia had been suspended, with Adif saying they’d not resume till security checks had been accomplished.
Prime minister Pedro Sánchez mentioned: “Tonight is one of deep sadness for our country.”
Spain’s King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia expressed condolences, whereas European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen mentioned she was following the state of affairs intently.
Spain has the biggest high-speed rail community in Europe, with greater than 3,100km of observe, and the system is broadly considered secure and closely used. Renfe mentioned greater than 25 million passengers travelled on its high-speed companies in 2024.
Spain’s worst rail catastrophe this century occurred in 2013, when 80 folks had been killed after a practice derailed in Galicia whereas travelling at extreme velocity.
Additional reporting from companies.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/spain-train-accident-derailment-adamuz-deaths-b2902964.html