The derailment of an Iryo train caused a collision with an Alvia, and several carriages were thrown off the tracks. One of the deceased is the driver of the second train, and there are 24 seriously injured.
Seville / Madrid - JAN 18 2026
UPDATED: JAN 18 2026 - 20:29 GMT-6
The derailment of two high-speed trains in Adamuz (Córdoba) on Sunday afternoon has caused at least 21 fatalities and 24 seriously injured who have already been transferred to hospitals, according to sources from the Civil Guard and Andalucía's 112 emergency service.
An Iryo train departing from Malaga bound for Madrid left the tracks past 7:30 p.m. and fell onto the track where an Alvia train was traveling at 200 kilometers per hour in the opposite direction towards Huelva. One of the deceased was the driver of this second convoy.
In total, 484 passengers were affected, traveling on both trains, and for now, the reasons for the derailment are unknown. The Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, appeared after midnight and predicted that there could be more fatalities, although he did not want to speculate on the number. Puente noted that the track was in good condition, having been renovated in May, which is why he described the accident as "tremendously strange."
The Junta de Andalucía has requested the intervention of the UME (Military Emergency Unit) to assist in rescue efforts, and sources from the Government Delegation have confirmed that the Army contingent is already heading to the area.
The Iryo company train had departed at 6:40 p.m. from Malaga bound for Puerta de Atocha (Madrid), when at 7:39 p.m. near Adamuz, the derailment occurred. Specifically, the last carriages (six to eight) left the tracks and crossed into the path of the Alvia (Madrid-Huelva) which at that moment was traveling at 200 kilometers per hour parallel to it. The Iryo then caused the Alvia to derail and fall down an embankment about five or six meters high, according to official sources. About 53 people were traveling in the carriages that plunged. The Iryo was not traveling at such high speed, although it has not yet been specified how fast, so it was able to brake shortly after the accident. The deceased driver, who received the head-on impact, was 27 years old. Investigation sources report that all seriously injured (30 in total, of whom five are very serious) have already been transferred to the mobilized hospitals.
Minister Óscar Puente: "We are puzzled by the accident"
The Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, appears from Atocha Station, in Madrid, in the early hours of Monday morning. Photo: Claudio Álvarez
Shortly after the accident, Minister Puente traveled to Renfe's 24-hour emergency center at Madrid's Atocha station to follow developments. After 00:30 a.m., he held a press conference to explain that all trapped individuals had been rescued and transferred to six Andalusian hospitals, and announced the creation of an independent investigation commission, as required by law, to clarify the circumstances of what happened. The minister expressed his bewilderment that the Iryo train left the track to impact the Alvia where most of the fatalities primarily occurred. "The Iryo train is practically new, and it's also a renovated track. Specifically, in this section, replacement work concluded in May. The accident is tremendously strange; it's on a straight line. All the experts we've been able to consult are tremendously puzzled," he insisted.
The mayor of Adamuz, Rafael Moreno (PSOE), was the first to arrive at the accident site along with the Local Police and was able to see at least one body severed several meters from the accident point. "I saw a passenger like a rag doll. We arrived first, and there was a body cut in half. But there was no light; it was night. The scene is Dantean," the mayor described in a conversation with EL PAÍS.
In an official statement, the Iryo company stated that it "deeply regretted what happened" and had activated "all its emergency protocols." Passengers from both trains had to be evacuated, as reported by Adif, and traffic was suspended on the high-speed line between Madrid and Andalusia due to this incident. The minister indicated that disruptions to train traffic could last weeks. For now, the railway administrator has also confirmed that circulation between the capital and Córdoba, Seville, Malaga, and Huelva will remain suspended throughout this Monday.
For its part, Renfe also issued a statement after 11:30 p.m. stating that its president, Álvaro Fernández Heredia, was traveling to the accident area. At the affected stations, information points have been set up for families, and a Psychological Assistance group has been enabled in Madrid, Córdoba, Huelva, and Seville to assist both victims and their relatives. Information for relatives of those affected by the accident is being channeled through the telephone number 900 101020.
Victim's testimony: "I was thrown out and opened the door with my head"
"There are many injured; I'm still shaking," said María San José, 33, a passenger in car number six of the train traveling from Malaga to Madrid after visiting a friend. Cars 7 and 8 collided with the front of the other train. San José told this newspaper that suddenly they began to feel vibrations: "And many bumps, bumps, suitcases started falling, and bumps until the train stopped," explains San José. "We thought it had been a derailment, but when we got out, we saw the twisted carriages and two carriages of the other train overturned," she added. At 10:40 p.m. tonight, she was with dozens of other passengers waiting for a bus about six kilometers from Adamuz, in the middle of nowhere. "We don't know anything; we still don't understand what happened or how many dead there might be," she said. Reported by Elena Reina.
Andalucía's 112 detailed the dispatch of six 061 mobile ICUs, two critical transport ICUs, two logistical support vehicles, three conventional ambulances, five scheduled transport ambulances, and two Red Cross ambulances. A UME intervention section comprising 37 military personnel and 15 vehicles has already departed from Morón de la Frontera towards the area. The Government of Andalucía has suspended all official events.
The chief director of the Córdoba Consortium Firefighters, Paco Carmona, explained on TVE that they are rescuing people with injuries of all kinds "cuts, bruises, contusions, open fractures..." and stated that access to the affected carriages is difficult because they are "twisted" and there are "masses of iron," seats, and all kinds of obstacles that hinder reaching the victims. "We have two trains about 800 meters apart, and we have already finished removing the deceased and injured," he added, referring to the Iryo train.
A RTVE journalist who was on one of the trains, Salvador Jiménez, also recounted how a strong impact that felt like an "earthquake" shook the carriage. From that moment, they grabbed hammers to open doors and windows and began to exit the convoy. The journalist described in a television interview that it had been hours of "much uncertainty" and that, at this moment, they remain waiting to find out how they will be transferred by bus.
The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, reported on his X account that the Government "is working with the rest of the competent authorities and emergency services to assist passengers" and in a second message near 1 a.m. expressed his condolences to the families of the victims: "Today is a night of deep pain for our country due to the tragic train accident in Adamuz."
For his part, the President of the Junta de Andalucía, Juanma Moreno, also announced that he was traveling to the area to "be alongside the deployed operatives to assist the victims" and reported that they had sent "emergency services and logistical support to the area to help in everything necessary." Minister Puente spoke with him by phone in "a climate of maximum collaboration," according to Transport sources. Also, the leader of the PP, Alberto Núñez-Feijóo, reported a phone conversation with Moreno to "convey our solidarity." "All our encouragement to those affected and their families in these moments of anguish," he indicated on X. Feijóo asked Sánchez to suspend the meeting they had scheduled for Monday afternoon at La Moncloa to discuss foreign policy matters, and the President of the Government acceded to the request given the seriousness of the accident.
The Royal House conveyed its condolences "to the relatives and loved ones of the deceased" and assured that they were following "with concern" the serious accident. "Our affection and wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured," they expressed on X.
Adamuz sets up a field hospital
The sub-delegate of the Government in Huelva, María José Rico, traveled to Huelva train station to attend to the families of passengers who were on the Alvia that had departed from Atocha bound for the Huelva capital. "We are here meeting with relatives who are worried because they have no way to contact the people on the train," she stressed. Many of them cannot contact their relatives and are providing their ID numbers and other contact information for passengers to facilitate identification and location tasks by the security forces and bodies working on the ground. The mayor of Huelva, Pilar Miranda, also traveled to the station.
The municipal hall of Adamuz has hosted a field hospital where the injured from the derailment are being treated. This was announced by the councilor responsible for Civil Protection, María Belén Moya Rojas, in statements to Canal Sur, while commenting that residents are rallying, bringing blankets and water, although the derailment occurred "in a difficult-to-access point."
Ambulances are constantly entering and leaving the hall to take away the affected people, crossing paths with the buses boarding those who do not require medical attention. In addition to the numerous members of the security forces and Civil Protection, around five hundred residents from nearby towns have traveled to the area, bringing blankets and other essential supplies for the affected. Reported by Paco Puentes.
The City Council has coordinated buses to assist all people who need to travel, while for those who wish to travel to Córdoba, buses will be made available, as explained.
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