High-speed trains collide after derailment in southern Spain, at least 21 killed

A high-speed train derailed and smashed into another high-speed train late Sunday in Adamuz in the southern province of Córdoba, killing at least 21 people and injuring dozens, local authorities said. The accident occurred around 7:45 p.m., the emergency agency in the region of Andalucía said on social media.

The agency said at least 73 people were injured and 24 of the injured were in serious condition. Juanma Moreno, the president of the Andalucía government, said the death toll was expected to rise. Transport Minister Óscar Puente said the rear cars of the first train left the tracks and spilled onto the opposite track where another train was passing, causing the front two cars of the second train to derail.

Mr. Puente said the cause of the initial derailment was not immediately clear and that it had occurred on a straight portion of track. He also said the first train was just a few years old and that the section of track had been recently replaced. Spain ranks second worldwide in high-speed rail network length, according to the International Union of Railways.

The first train, privately operated, was traveling to Madrid from Málaga, and the second, run by Spain’s national rail company, was bound for Huelva. Rail traffic between Madrid and several major cities in southern Andalucía, including Córdoba, Seville, Málaga and Huelva, was to be suspended on Monday, the state-owned rail infrastructure agency said.

Key Topics

World, Train Derailment, Adamuz, Córdoba, Andalucía, Málaga