Barcelona: - A high-speed train derailed in southern Spain on Sunday, then veered onto the opposite track and collided with an oncoming train. At least 39 people were killed in the accident, while dozens more were injured, according to train operator Adif. According to train operator Adif, the last part of the train, carrying about 300 passengers between Malaga and Madrid, derailed near Cordoba at 7:45 pm local time and collided with a train carrying about 200 passengers from Madrid to the southern Spanish city of Huelva.
Earlier, Spanish Transport Minister Oscar Puente had confirmed the death toll at 21. He said that the remaining survivors had been evacuated during the rescue operation. Puente said the death toll could rise. The minister said the cause of the accident was not yet known. He called it a “really strange” incident because the accident occurred on a level section of track that had been repaired in May last year.
He said the train whose carriage derailed was less than four years old. The train belonged to the private company Aereo, while the other train belonged to Spain’s public rail company Renfe. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed her condolences for the loss of life in a post on X.