At least 39 people have been confirmed dead following a train accident that occurred on Sunday in the town of Adamuz, located in Spain’s southern province of Córdoba.
Authorities said 73 people remain hospitalized, with 24 in serious condition. Among the injured are four minors. Earlier reports indicated that at least 75 passengers were taken to hospital after a high-speed train derailed and collided with an oncoming train.
Andalusia’s regional president, Juanma Moreno, told reporters that 15 of those hospitalized persons sustained serious injuries. Most of the injured were transported to medical facilities in Córdoba, close to the crash site.
Moreno said rescue teams worked through the night to recover bodies from the wreckage, while Andalusia’s regional health minister warned that emergency services were facing “a very difficult night.”
The Spanish Red Cross has set up a support and information center in Adamuz to assist emergency responders and relatives seeking updates. Members of Spain’s Civil Guard and civil defense units have remained at the scene throughout the night.
Spain’s Transport Minister, Óscar Puente, said the cause of the crash has not yet been determined.
He described the incident as “truly strange,” noting that it occurred on a flat stretch of track that had been renovated in May.
Puente added that the train that derailed was less than four years old and operated by the private company Iryo, while the second train, which sustained most of the impact, was operated by Spain’s state-owned rail company, Renfe.
