At least 39 people have died and dozens more are injured following a catastrophic train collision in southern Spain. Authorities warned the death toll could rise in what is being described as the country’s worst rail disaster in over a decade.
The accident occurred near the city of Córdoba when a Madrid-bound train, operated by private firm Iryo, derailed on a straight stretch of track. The carriages crossed into the opposite path, striking an oncoming state-funded Renfe train.
The collision happened at approximately 18:50 local time, ten minutes after the first train departed Malaga. The force of the impact pushed several carriages into an embankment. Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente noted that most casualties occurred in the front carriages of the second train.
Emergency workers described a "nightmare" scene. "We even had to remove a deceased person to reach someone alive," said Córdoba fire chief Francisco Carmona.
Approximately 400 people were on board both trains (300 on the Iryo service and 100 on the Renfe service), 39 confirmed dead; at least 24 seriously injured, including four children. All rail services between Madrid and Andalusia are suspended.
Minister Puente called the crash "extremely strange," noting that railway experts are baffled by the derailment on a straight track. A full investigation is underway, though findings are not expected for at least a month.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed his grief, stating the nation is enduring a "night of deep pain." King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia also issued a statement of condolence to the victims' families.
Spain possesses the world's second-largest high-speed rail network after China. This incident is the deadliest since 2013, when a derailment in Galicia killed 80 people.
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