Spain Train Collision Leaves 21 Dead Near Córdoba

In the quiet of an early Sunday evening, southern Spain was rocked by a devastating high-speed train collision that left at least 21 people dead and scores more injured—an incident that has plunged the nation into mourning and raised urgent questions about rail safety in one of Europe’s busiest rail networks.

The accident occurred just after 6:40 p.m. local time on January 18, 2026, near the small town of Adamuz in Córdoba province. According to Reuters and Television Espanola, the tragedy unfolded when the Iryo 6189 Malaga-to-Madrid train, a Freccia 1000 model carrying more than 300 passengers, derailed only ten minutes after leaving Córdoba. The derailment forced the train onto an adjacent track—directly into the path of a Renfe train traveling from Madrid to Huelva, which itself was carrying roughly 200 passengers.

The impact was catastrophic. As Spain’s transport minister Óscar Puente described, “The impact has been terrible, causing the first two units of the Renfe train to be thrown off as a result.” The back part of the Iryo train collided with the front of the Renfe train, knocking the first two carriages of the latter off the track and down a four-meter (13-foot) embankment. The scene was one of chaos and destruction, with at least four carriages mangled and dozens of passengers trapped in the wreckage.

Emergency services rushed to the site, but the area posed significant challenges. María Belén Moya Rojas, the regional Civil Protection chief, told Canal Sur that the accident happened in a hard-to-reach location. Local residents quickly mobilized, bringing blankets and water to assist victims as darkness fell. Spain’s military emergency relief units joined the civilian rescue teams, and the Red Cross provided crucial support to medical personnel on the ground.

As the night wore on, the full scale of the disaster became clear. At least 21 people lost their lives, including one of the train drivers, and approximately 100 were injured—25 of them seriously, according to state broadcaster Television Espanola. Andalusia’s regional health chief, Antonio Sanz, reported that 73 injured passengers were taken to six different hospitals, with most of the seriously injured transported to facilities in the nearby city of Córdoba.

For many survivors, the experience was harrowing. Salvador Jiménez, a journalist with Spanish broadcaster RTVE who was on board one of the derailed trains, recounted, “There was a moment when it felt like an earthquake and the train had indeed derailed.” Passengers used emergency hammers to break windows and escape, some crawling out of tilted carriages to safety. Videos shared on social media showed emergency responders helping people climb through shattered windows and comforting the injured as they waited for medical assistance.

The psychological toll was evident. One woman, a passenger on the Iryo train, described the moments after the derailment: “Ten minutes after departing, the train started to shake a lot, and it derailed from coach 6 behind us. The lights went out,” she wrote on X (formerly Twitter). The sense of confusion and fear was palpable as hundreds of survivors had to be rescued in the darkness.

Authorities moved swiftly to manage the aftermath. Rail operator Adif announced the immediate suspension of train services between Madrid and Andalusia, stranding thousands of travelers and creating scenes of confusion at major stations like Madrid Puerta de Atocha, Córdoba Julio Anguita, and Sevilla Santa Justa. Adif also provided spaces at these stations to assist the relatives of victims, emphasizing their commitment to supporting those affected.

Spain’s leaders responded with solemnity and urgency. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed his “sincerest condolences to the family and loved ones of the victims,” adding, “Tonight is one of deep sadness for our country.” King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia echoed these sentiments, as did European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who posted in Spanish, “Tonight you are in my thoughts.”

The cause of the crash remains a mystery, confounding officials and experts alike. Transport minister Óscar Puente called it “a truly strange” incident, noting that it occurred on a flat stretch of track that had been renovated as recently as May 2025. The Iryo train itself was less than four years old—a detail that has only deepened the sense of bewilderment. “The number of victims cannot be confirmed at this time. The fundamental priority now is to assist the victims,” Puente stated in an emotional address. He added that a full inquiry into the causes could take about a month, as investigators sift through wreckage and data to piece together what went wrong.

Both train companies have pledged full cooperation. Iryo, the private operator of the derailed train, said in a statement that it “deeply lamented what has happened” and was working closely with authorities. Renfe, Spain’s public train company, also mobilized support teams to help victims and their families.

The crash has sent shockwaves through Spain, a country with a proud tradition of high-speed rail travel. The nation’s extensive rail network is often cited as a model of efficiency and safety, making Sunday’s disaster all the more jarring. The incident comes just days after a separate rail tragedy in Thailand, where at least 22 people were killed when a construction crane collapsed onto a moving train. The proximity of these two disasters has reignited debate over rail safety standards worldwide and the challenges of maintaining complex, aging infrastructure.

As rescue efforts wound down in the early hours of Monday, officials warned that the death toll could still rise. “We have a very difficult night ahead,” said Antonio Sanz, Andalusia’s regional health chief, as emergency workers continued to search the wreckage for any remaining victims.

For the people of Adamuz and the wider Córdoba region, the tragedy has left an indelible mark. Yet the outpouring of support—from local volunteers to national leaders—has underscored the resilience and solidarity that often emerge in the face of disaster. As Spain begins the long process of recovery and investigation, the nation’s thoughts remain with the victims and their families, and with the questions that so urgently demand answers.