A high-speed train crash in southern Spain has killed at least 39 people and injured more than 120 others, leaving mangled carriages piled along the tracks and families scrambling for answers in the country’s worst rail disaster in more than a decade.The death toll remained provisional Monday as rescue crews kept searching through twisted metal near the town of Adamuz, in Córdoba province. Officials warned the number of dead could still rise, especially in the most heavily damaged cars where passengers were trapped in tight pockets of wreckage.The collision happened around 7:45 pm Sunday on a straight stretch of line about 360 kilometres south of Madrid. An Iryo-operated high-speed train travelling from Málaga to Madrid derailed and veered onto an adjacent track, authorities said. Moments later, a second high-speed train operated by Renfe, running from Madrid to Huelva, struck the derailed cars head-on.The impact sent the front cars of the Renfe train down a four-metre embankment. Survivors described a sudden jolt and a violent smash, followed by darkness, dust and screams as luggage and debris flew through the passenger cabins.Emergency services said the Iryo train was carrying about 300 passengers and the Renfe train had roughly 100 on board. The injured total ranged from about 120 to 170 as crews triaged victims and transported them to hospitals in the region. Several dozen remained admitted Monday, and some were being treated in intensive care.On the ground, firefighters, police and medical teams worked through the night and into the morning, cutting into crushed coaches and pulling out survivors. A nearby sports facility was converted into a temporary field hospital, with stretchers lined up under harsh lights as paramedics treated bleeding wounds, broken bones and shock..The crash site was scattered with splintered panels and bent steel. Some cars were ripped open, exposing rows of seats. Others were pressed together at sharp angles, leaving narrow gaps that crews had to pry apart. The scene was still active hours later, with rescuers moving carefully to avoid shifting wreckage.Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, called it a “night of profound sorrow” and was expected to visit the site. Flags and messages of support appeared at major rail stations as the country absorbed the scale of the disaster.For families, the hours after the crash were agonizing. Support centres and psychological help were set up at stations in Madrid Atocha, Seville, Córdoba, Málaga, and Huelva, where officials worked to identify victims and reunite survivors with relatives.Authorities have not confirmed the identities of those killed. Many passengers were believed to be travelling home at the end of the weekend or heading to the capital for work and school. Officials said some of the most serious injuries were linked to the front cars that plunged down the embankment after the collision.Spain’s transport minister described the derailment as “extremely unusual” because it happened on a recently renewed, straight section of track. Early reports said both trains were travelling within the permitted high-speed limit, around 200 to 210 kilometres an hour, when the crash occurred.Investigators were still trying to determine why the Iryo train left the rails. No definitive cause has been identified. Authorities said the inquiry could take at least a month, with teams expected to examine the trains’ data recorders, signalling systems, and track conditions..Early comments attributed to Renfe suggested human error was considered unlikely, pointing instead to a possible issue with rolling stock or infrastructure. That uncertainty has fed public questions about high-speed rail safety, especially given the recent track work and the relative newness of the Iryo trainset involved.Spain has one of the largest high-speed rail networks in Europe, and the routes between Madrid and Andalusia are among the busiest. The crash shut down a major corridor and triggered widespread delays.Spain’s rail infrastructure manager, ADIF, suspended high-speed services between Madrid and Andalusia, affecting routes to Córdoba, Seville, Málaga, Huelva, Cádiz, Algeciras, and Granada. The disruption was expected to last at least through Monday as crews secured the area and began the early work of clearing the line.At stations, travellers faced packed halls, cancelled departures, and long lines for updates. Some passengers sat on the floor with bags at their feet. Others stared at their phones, trying to rebook tickets or reach family members. Rail staff directed people toward alternative transport, but options were limited.The crash has also renewed memories of past tragedies on Spain’s rails. While high-speed trains have generally been seen as safe, the country has suffered deadly incidents before, and each one leaves deep scars in communities and among survivors.Monday’s focus remained on the victims and the urgent work at the scene. Crews continued to move through the wreckage carriage by carriage, searching for signs of life and recovering bodies with care.Authorities urged the public to avoid speculation while the investigation continues. But in Adamuz and across Spain, the questions are already pressing: how two high-speed trains ended up in the same place at the same time, and what failed on a stretch of track that should have offered clear, controlled running.For now, officials said, the priority is the wounded in hospital beds, the families waiting for news, and the rescue workers still working amid the torn metal and silent tracks.
