Nearly Forty Dead in Spain Train Crash
The disaster unfolded at approximately 7:40 p.m. local time (1840 GMT) when a Malaga-to-Madrid train derailed close to Adamuz, veering into an adjacent track. A southbound Madrid-to-Huelva train then struck the wreckage, causing it to derail as well.
Two carriages from the Alvia train plummeted down a four-meter embankment, severely hampering rescue operations, media reported. Spain's Interior Ministry disclosed that five victims remain in critical condition, with 24 suffering serious injuries—including four children. Over 120 others sustained minor to moderate harm.
Emergency response teams mobilized extensive resources, deploying mobile intensive care units, ambulances, logistics vehicles, and establishing an advanced medical post at an Adif railway facility for victim triage and stabilization prior to hospital transport. The Military Emergency Unit (UME) dispatched approximately 40 personnel and 15 vehicles to support recovery efforts.
Andalusian regional president Juan Manuel Moreno surveyed the crash site, calling it "a very hard day for Andalusia." He indicated more precise casualty figures would emerge following identification procedures.
Transport Minister Oscar Puente characterized the incident as "extremely strange," emphasizing it happened on a straightaway recently renovated in May. An independent commission will examine whether infrastructure or rolling stock caused the tragedy, he stated.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez scrapped his Monday schedule, including a planned meeting with opposition leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo, and offered condolences to grieving families.
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed solidarity with Spain via social media, stating "France stands with you."
Rail operator Renfe suspended service Monday between Madrid and multiple Andalusian cities—Seville, Malaga, Cordoba, and Huelva—canceling over 130 trains. The company is providing complimentary schedule changes and refunds to stranded passengers.
Adif, Spain's rail infrastructure manager, established a hotline for victims' relatives.
The nation experienced its deadliest modern rail catastrophe in 2013, when a high-speed Madrid-to-Galicia train derailed, claiming 79 lives and injuring 179.
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