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Spain: Deadly high-speed train crash leaves at least 20 dead

By
Updated  January 18, 2026 7:08pm EST
World
FOX Local
article

Two high-speed trains collided in Adamuz, Spain, killing at least 21, state-run media RTVE reported on Sunday, January 18. (Credit: @eleanorinthesky via Storyful)

The Brief

    • A high-speed train derailed and hit another train in southern Spain, killing at least 20 people.
    • About 500 passengers were on board, and dozens were injured as rescue efforts continued.
    • Train service between Madrid and Andalusia was suspended.

MADRID - A high-speed train derailed and crossed onto the opposite track, colliding with an oncoming train Sunday in southern Spain, killing at least 21 people and injuring dozens, officials said.

Dig deeper:

The evening train between Malaga and Madrid went off the rails near Córdoba and slammed into a train coming from Madrid to Huelva, another southern Spanish city, according to rail operator Adif. The two trains were carrying around 500 passengers, according to media reports.

What they're saying:

Antonio Sanz, regional health minister for the Andalusia region where the crash happened, said officials told him that there are over 20 dead and they fear the death toll may rise further.

Rescue operations are ongoing, he said, adding that 73 injured passengers have been taken to six different hospitals.

He said at least one passenger carriage had rolled down a four-meter (13-foot) slope.

Francisco Carmona, the firefighter chief of Cordoba, told Spanish national radio RNE that one of the trains was badly mangled, with at least four wagons off the rails.

The situation at the crash site "is very serious," Sanz said. "We have a very difficult night ahead."

The regional Civil Protection chief, María Belén Moya Rojas, told Canal Sur the accident happened in an area that is hard to reach.

Local people were taking blankets and water to the scene to help the victims, she said.

Big picture view:

High-speed trains, running on an extensive national network, are a popular way to travel in Spain.

Spain’s military emergency relief units joined the deployment of other rescue units. The Red Cross also provided support to healthcare officials.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a post on X that she was following "the terrible news" from Cordoba.

"Tonight you are in my thoughts," she wrote in Spanish.

What's next:

ADIF said train services between Madrid and cities in Andalucia would not run Monday.

The Source: The Associated Press contributed to this report. The information in the story came from Spanish officials and emergency responders, including the Andalusia regional health minister and civil protection authorities, as well as statements from the national rail operator Adif. This story was reported from Los Angeles. 

World