What caused the Spain train crash? Authorities investigate ‘extremely strange’ incident which killed 39
At least 39 people were killed and dozens more injured after two high-speed trains collided in southern Spain on Sunday evening.
The crash happened at 7.45pm local time near Adamuz, a town of about 5,000 people in the province of Córdoba, according to Spain’s interior ministry.
The tail end of a train run by private high-speed rail operator Iryo, travelling from Málaga to Madrid, was derailed and jumped onto an adjacent track, where it smashed into an oncoming Renfe service travelling from Madrid to Huelva, a municipality in Spain. Renfe is Spain’s national state-owned railway company.
Follow the latest updates about the crash here
Spanish state-owned rail operator Adif said the Iryo train derailed first and crashed into the second train, pushing it off the tracks and down a railway embankment.
Spain’s transport minister Óscar Puente said the incident was “really strange”, noting that it occurred on a straight stretch of track that had been renewed in May.
The high-speed Frecciarossa 1000 train operated by Iryo was carrying more than 300 passengers, according to officials.
The Renfe-operated Madrid-Huelva Alvia train had between 100 and 200 passengers on board, with authorities later saying the worst damage occurred in its first two carriages.
The Renfe train was travelling at around 200kmph at the time of impact, El País reported. It was unclear how fast the Iryo train was moving when the accident happened.
Mr Puente said the rear section of the Iryo train derailed, while the front section of the Renfe one took the full impact of the collision and plunged several metres down the embankment.
Juanma Moreno, regional president of Andalusia, said at least 75 people were hospitalised, including 15 in serious condition.
Mr Moreno warned early on that the death toll could rise as daylight allowed rescuers to fully access the wreckage.
El País reported that the 27-year-old driver of the Madrid–Huelva train was among those killed.
Emergency services worked through the night under floodlights in cold conditions, with temperatures dropping to around 6C.
