Violent collision

Train accident in Spain: death toll rises to 39

Rescue workers were on duty throughout the night.(Bild: AFP)

At least 39 people were killed in a serious train accident in southern Spain on Sunday evening. Many others were injured, some seriously, and more than 70 of them are in hospital. After a collision, the two trains plunged four meters down an embankment.

Residents of the town of Adamuz, including the mayor, rushed to the scene of the accident. They were met with a horrific scene: one person was reported to be lying dead next to the tracks. Passengers tried to save themselves by climbing out of the windows. Many people were trapped between the trains. One of the two train drivers is among the dead. 

"It was like an earthquake"
A young woman fought back tears in an interview with TV station RTVE as she described the nightmare she experienced on the Iryo train that crashed. "There was a sudden braking, it became pitch dark. I fell headfirst out of my seat. People and luggage were flying through the air, there were screams, crying children, blood. I feel like I've been reborn." Another passenger, journalist Salvador Jiménez, said, "It was like an earthquake."

On the way from Málaga to Madrid
At around 7:40 p.m. on Sunday, an Iryo high-speed train operated by the Italian company Trenitalia derailed near the town of Adamuz in the province of Córdoba at an estimated speed of 300 km/h and collided with the neighboring track, according to the railway company RENFE. By tragic coincidence, an oncoming RENFE high-speed train was passing by at that very moment and was thrown off the tracks by the other vehicle. The two trains then plunged down a four-meter precipice.

The accident occurred in Adamuz in southern Spain.(Bild: APA)

Almost 500 passengers affected
The Iryo train was traveling from Málaga to Madrid with more than 300 people on board, while the RENFE train, which had departed from Madrid, was traveling to Huelva with around 200 passengers. Traffic on the important route between Madrid and Andalusia was expected to be interrupted until at least Monday. Many people affected by train cancellations in various cities due to the accident spent the night in train stations.

Emergency services worked for hours to free people
Numerous passengers were trapped in the trains after the accident, according to RTVE, citing emergency services. Emergency services worked to free the passengers from the carriages as quickly as possible.

Those affected are receiving psychological care
The Red Cross not only provided psychological support to the passengers and railway employees affected, but also to traumatized relatives and friends of the victims who waited in vain at Madrid's Atocha station or in Huelva. In the face of tragedy, grief, and chaos, many people in the 4,000-strong community of Adamuz showed solidarity. Despite the late hour, volunteers brought blankets, medicine, and food to the community center. Supermarket owner Rafaela immediately opened her store and said in an interview with RTVE: "No one is sleeping here tonight!"

Transport minister at a loss over cause of accident
According to RENFE, traffic on the important route between Madrid and Andalusia will be interrupted until at least Monday. The cause of the accident remained unclear at first. The Spanish transport minister described the accident as "extremely strange." The track on which the accident occurred had only been renovated in the spring, and the train was "practically new."