Salvador Jiménez, a journalist with Spanish broadcaster RTVE who was onboard one of the trains, described the terrifying moments of the crash, saying it “felt like an earthquake” as the high-speed train derailed
and collided with another train in southern Spain, killing at least 21 people and injuring dozens.
Speaking to RTVE by phone after escaping the wreckage, Jiménez said, “there was a moment when it felt like an earthquake and the train had indeed derailed.” He said passengers used emergency hammers to smash windows, with some crawling out of tilted carriages to escape. Videos from the scene showed damaged coaches leaning at sharp angles as survivors made their way out in the dark.
The crash occurred around 7:45 pm on Sunday near the village of Adamuz in the Córdoba province, when the rear section of a high-speed train travelling from Malaga to Madrid derailed, jumped onto the opposite track and slammed into an oncoming train heading from Madrid to Huelva. The first train was carrying about 300 passengers, while the second had around 200 onboard.
Spain’s Transport Minister Óscar Puente said rescuers had pulled out all survivors by midnight, updating the death toll to 21, though he added that more victims could still be confirmed. Andalusia regional president Juanma Moreno said at least 75 passengers were hospitalised, including 15 with serious injuries, most of them taken to hospitals in Córdoba.
According to Puente, the back part of the first train crashed into the front of the second, knocking its first two carriages off the track and down a four-metre slope. He described the incident as “truly strange”, noting that it happened on a flat stretch of track renovated in May. The derailed train was less than four years old and operated by private firm Iryo, while the second train belonged to state-run Renfe.
Emergency services, including Spain’s Civil Guard, Civil Protection units and military emergency teams, worked through the cold night at the site, which officials said was difficult to access. The Spanish Red Cross set up a help centre in Adamuz to assist survivors and families seeking information.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called it “a night of deep sadness” for Spain, while King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also expressed condolences. An inquiry into the cause of the crash has been launched and could take up to a month, Puente said.
