Spain’s worst rail disaster in more than a decade left at least 39 people dead and 123 injured after two high-speed trains collided in southern Spain on Sunday evening, authorities said.
The crash occurred near Adamuz when a Malaga–Madrid train operated by Iryo derailed and crossed onto an adjacent track, where it struck an oncoming train. Both trains subsequently derailed.
The Interior Ministry confirmed the death toll had risen from an earlier figure of 21. Among the injured, five are in critical condition and 24 are seriously hurt.
Transport Minister Óscar Puente described the incident as “extremely strange,” noting that it occurred on a straight section of fully renovated track.
The tragedy is Spain’s deadliest train accident since 2013, when 80 people were killed near Santiago de Compostela.
