Spain has been plunged into a state of national mourning following a catastrophic high-speed train collision in the southern province of Córdoba on Sunday evening.
Authorities confirmed Monday morning that at least 39 people have died and 152 others were injured in what is being described as one of the deadliest rail disasters in the country’s history. The disaster unfolded at approximately 7:45 PM CET on Sunday, January 18 near the town of Adamuz.
An Iryo high-speed train traveling from Málaga to Madrid with over 300 passengers on board derailed on a straight stretch of track. According to Spain‘s Transport Minister Óscar Puente, the rear carriages of the Iryo train swung across onto the adjacent track, directly into the path of an oncoming Renfe Alvia train traveling from Madrid to Huelva.
The Renfe train, carrying roughly 184 passengers and moving at high speed, struck the derailed carriages with “terrible impact.” The collision sent the first two carriages of the Renfe train plunging down a 4-meter (13-foot) embankment. While the 2026 Córdoba crash and the 2023 Tempi disaster both represent catastrophic failures of modern rail systems, they differ significantly in their technical causes.
The human toll in Spain’s train collision
The human toll from Spain’s train collision has been severe. Authorities have confirmed 39 fatalities, including the 27-year-old driver of the Renfe train. At least 152 people were injured, and 75 remain hospitalized, with between 15 and 25 in critical condition.
Survivors described the moment of impact as feeling like an earthquake. Trapped passengers used emergency hammers to smash windows and escape from mangled carriages as smoke filled the cabins, turning the aftermath into a chaotic and terrifying scene.
“It was like a horror movie,” said Lucas Meriako, a survivor from the Iryo train. “There were people screaming, bags falling everywhere—the metal was just twisted.”
Cause remains a mystery
Investigators from Adif (Spain’s rail infrastructure manager) are already on-site, but the cause remains a mystery. Puente labeled the incident “truly strange,” noting that the derailment occurred on a straight, flat section of track.
He also revealed that the track had been renovated as recently as May 2025 at a cost of €700 million ($813.7 million), and the the Iryo train involved was a modern model, less than four years old.
Sánchez has cleared his official agenda for Monday to oversee the emergency response. In a statement on X, he referred to the incident as a “night of deep pain” and expressed his “sincerest condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims.”
Related: Tempi Rail Disaster Trial Set for March 23, 2026
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