{"id":4781,"date":"2026-01-19T13:27:49","date_gmt":"2026-01-19T13:27:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/what-we-know-about-spains-worst-train-disaster-in-over-a-decade\/"},"modified":"2026-01-19T13:27:49","modified_gmt":"2026-01-19T13:27:49","slug":"what-we-know-about-spains-worst-train-disaster-in-over-a-decade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/what-we-know-about-spains-worst-train-disaster-in-over-a-decade\/","title":{"rendered":"What we know about Spain’s worst train disaster in over a decade"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Sofia Ferreira Santos<\/span>and<\/span><\/p>\n

Alicia Curry<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"ReutersReuters<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n
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At least 39 people have died and dozens more have been injured after two high-speed trains collided in southern Spain, the country’s Civil Guard has said.<\/p>\n

The incident near the city of C\u00f3rdoba has been described by local officials as Spain’s worst rail crash in more than a decade.<\/p>\n

Prime Minister Pedro S\u00e1nchez is expected to visit the scene later on Monday, where rescue efforts are ongoing.<\/p>\n

Here’s what we know about the incident so far.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Where did the crash happen?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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The crash occurred at around 19:45 local time (18:45 GMT) on Sunday, about an hour after one of the trains departed M\u00e1laga for Madrid.<\/p>\n

The train derailed and crossed over to the opposite track, operator Adif said.<\/p>\n

It then collided with an oncoming train travelling from south Madrid to Huelva, which was forced into an embankment running alongside the track, Spain’s Transport Minister \u00d3scar Puente said on Sunday. <\/p>\n

The majority of those killed and injured were in the front carriages of the Huelva-bound train, he added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"A<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

What caused the crash?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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What caused the train to derail remains unclear. <\/p>\n

Officials say an investigation has been launched but it is not expected to determine what happened for at least a month.<\/p>\n

Puente has described the crash as “extremely strange” and said all the railway experts consulted by the government “are extremely baffled by the accident”.<\/p>\n

The president of Spain’s state-owned rail operator, Renfe, said he had “discarded” the possibility that the incident occured due to excessive speed or human error.<\/p>\n

\u00c1lvaro Fern\u00e1ndez Heredia told Spain’s national radio RNE that even if a mistake had been made, a system within the train would have fixed it.<\/p>\n

He added that both trains were travelling under the maximum speed limit on the stretch of track where the crash happened. <\/p>\n

He suggested a mechanical fault or an infrastructure issue was a more likely cause.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Are people still trapped in the trains?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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\"SpanishSpanish Guardia Civil \/ Handout via Reuters<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The Spanish Civil Guard arrived on scene to assess the situation and begin the evaluation process<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
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There were around 400 passengers and staff on the two trains, operated by Iryo and Renfe, according to a statement from Renfe.<\/p>\n

It is not clear if there are people still trapped inside the carriages but rescue teams are on site. <\/p>\n

“The problem is that the carriages are twisted, so the metal is twisted with the people inside,” Francisco Carmona, head of firefighters in C\u00f3rdoba, told Spanish public broadcaster RTVE.<\/p>\n

“We have even had to remove a dead person to be able to reach someone alive. It is hard, tricky work,” he added.<\/p>\n

The president of the Andalusian regional government, Juanma Moreno, told local outlet Canal Sur that they are waiting for “heavy machinery” to “practically lift” parts of the second train, which “has taken the worst part of this accident”.<\/p>\n

“Until the heavy machinery can do its job and free the wagons from the track”, emergency services will not be able to start “searching and identifying” any remaining victims, he added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Who are the victims?<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n
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The 39 victims of the crash have not yet been identified, with Puente saying the death toll “is not yet final” as investigations into the crash commence.<\/p>\n

As of midday on Monday, 112 people had received medical assistance, 43 of whom remained hospitalised, local emergency services said.<\/p>\n

Among the 43 victims still in hospital:<\/p>\n