At least 39 dead and dozens injured in high speed train crash in southern Spain as witnesses describe horror

A nightmarish train crash has claimed the lives of at least 39 people and left dozens injured after an evening high-speed service went off the rails.

The derailment incident took place in Adamuz, near the city of Córdoba, in southern Spain, on Sunday (January 18), with one train leaving the track and colliding with another service heading the other way. It caused devastation and a 'night of deep pain', according to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.

It is believed that the Málaga to Madrid train came off the rails first and smashed into another train going from Madrid to Huelva, which then derailed and fell down an embankment.

The rail networks said that around 400 passengers and staff were onboard both trains.

The collision occurred around 19:45 local time, roughly an hour after the high-speed train had left Málaga for the country's capital.

More than a dozen of those hospitalized are in a serious condition (X/@eleanorinthesky)

Speaking to public broadcaster RTVE, one passenger shared their ordeal: "There were people screaming, their bags fell from the shelves. I was traveling to Huelva in the fourth carriage – the last, luckily."

The aftermath of the crash saw dozens left trapped in the twisted metal wreckage of the carriages, with the rescue operation struggling with the number of people injured and the complex search area.

Córdoba's chief of fire, Paco Carmona, told local broadcasters: "There are still people trapped. The operation is concentrating on getting people out of areas which are very narrow."

He added: "We have to remove the bodies to reach anyone who is still alive. It is proving to be a complicated task."

According to the emergency services, at least 73 people were taken to hospital, with 24 of them seriously injured, including four children.

With the death toll still rising, the derailment is the deadliest train crash in the European country in at least a decade.

Meanwhile, the country's transport minister, Óscar Puente, has described the derailment as 'truly strange', with the incident occurring on a straight stretch of track, which had been repaired as recently as May, 2025.

The rescue operation has been complicated due to the high number of casualties (Clara Carrasco via Getty Images)

People on board one of the services have detailed being told to remain in their seats after the crash, with train guards reportedly asking for anyone with first aid training to look after those around them.

Puente also added that the majority of casualties had occurred in the first two carriages of the second train, the point of impact for the other high-speed train.

One terrified passenger shared some preliminary information about the moment leading up to the crash on X, saying: "Ten minutes after departing [from Córdoba] the train started to shake a lot, and it derailed from coach six behind us. The lights went out."

But with so many casualties, families have been left distraught overnight as they attempt to find out what happened to their loved ones.

A spokesperson for the Spanish Red Cross added: "The families are going through a situation of great anxiety due to the lack of information. These are very distressing moments."