Spain began three days of national mourning on Tuesday for the 40 passengers killed in a high-speed train crash on Sunday evening. The crash is one of the deadliest rail incidents in the country since 2013, when 80 people lost their lives in a tragic accident.
Sunday’s crash occurred when a train operated by rail company Iryo, travelling from Málaga to Madrid, derailed near Adamuz in the southern Andalusia region. The derailed carriages then collided with an oncoming train.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, addressing the media after the accident, said, “This is a day of sorrow for all of Spain, for our entire country.”
He vowed a thorough investigation, adding, “We will uncover the cause, and once it is determined, we will present the findings with absolute transparency. A large number of people have been injured in the accident, and it may take up to 48 hours to establish the exact casualty figures from this terrible crash.”
More than 120 people were injured, with 41 still receiving treatment in hospitals in the nearby city of Córdoba.
Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente said the first train to derail was “practically new” and that the section of track involved had been recently renovated, making the accident “extremely strange”.
Spain boasts Europe’s largest high-speed rail network, with more than 3,000 km of dedicated tracks connecting major cities including Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Málaga and Valencia.
A survivor described the crash as “like a horror movie”, saying, “We felt a powerful hit from behind and the sensation that the whole train was about to collapse and break… There were many injuries because of the glass.”
World leaders, including Pope Leo XIV and French President Emmanuel Macron, have sent condolences to the Spanish government and the families of the victims.
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