Deadly train derailment in Spain leaves dozens dead and more than 150 injured
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ADAMUZ, Spain — January 19, 2026 Spanish authorities say at least 39 people have died and more than 150 passengers were injured after two high‑speed trains derailed on Sunday evening near the town of Adamuz in the Andalusia region.
Photo Credit: Wikipedia Creative Commons License
Tragedy in Santiago de Compostela, the worst rail accident in Spain in the last 40 years.
Date: 25 July 2013, 01:00
Source: Tragedia en Santiago de Compostela
Author > Contando Estrelas from Vigo, España / Spain
Global News writes Spanish police said Monday that at least 39 people have now been confirmed dead after a high‑speed rail collision in southern Spain the previous night. According to investigators, the disaster began when the rear carriages of one train left the track, sliding into the adjacent line. A second high‑speed train traveling in the opposite direction then struck the derailed coaches, causing it to jump the rails as well and triggering one of the country’s deadliest rail accidents in years.
The crash occurred shortly after 19:30 local time when a Málaga‑to‑Madrid train derailed, sending several carriages onto an adjacent track. Moments later, a second train traveling from Madrid to Huelva struck the derailed coaches and also left the rails.
According to Spain’s transport minister Óscar Puente, three carriages from the first train were thrown onto the opposite track, triggering the catastrophic secondary collision. The first train carried more than 300 passengers; the second had around 100 on board.
Passengers Trapped as Rescue Crews Worked Through the Night
Emergency responders described a chaotic and dangerous scene, with passengers trapped inside crushed carriages.
“We must remove the bodies to reach those who are still alive,” said fire chief Paco Carmona during the rescue operation, according to The Standard.
A journalist traveling on one of the trains told RTVE that passengers had to break windows with hammers to escape the wreckage.
According to The Independent, citing Reuters, technicians examining the deadly train derailment in Spain have traced the likely cause to a damaged rail joint, according to a source familiar with the early findings.
Investigators discovered significant wear on the fishplate—the metal connector that links two sections of track—indicating the defect had existed for an extended period, the source told Reuters.
The deterioration allowed a gap between the rail segments to gradually widen as trains repeatedly passed over it, ultimately destabilizing the line.
According to Wikipedia, a makeshift medical facility was established inside a sports center in Adamuz to care for the injured, providing emergency treatment as rescue operations continued. The Civil Guard later announced that all high‑speed rail service between Madrid and Andalusia would remain suspended for the entirety of 19 January.
Track Recently Renovated
Transport minister Puente called the accident “extremely strange,” noting that the derailment occurred on a straight section of track that had been renovated in May 2025 and was considered to be in “perfect condition”. The first derailed train was only four years old.
Investigation Underway
Authorities have not yet identified a cause. Spain’s rail infrastructure operator ADIF and national investigators are examining the site, including the condition of the rails and signaling systems.
The derailment is Spain’s deadliest rail accident since the 2013 Santiago de Compostela crash, which killed 79 people.
High‑speed rail is widely used in Spain, which has the second‑largest high‑speed network in the world.
Further Reading:
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/18/two-high-speed-trains-collide-in-spain-killing?
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/spain-train-crash-everything-we-know-b1267074.html
https://globalnews.ca/news/11619229/spain-train-crash-death-toll/
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/spain-train-crash-high-speed-ad…?