A HIGH-SPEED train travelling between Málaga and Madrid derailed on Sunday evening near the southern city of Córdoba, jumped onto the opposite track and slammed into an oncoming passenger service, killing at least 20 people and injuring scores more, Spanish officials said.
The collision involved a train heading from Málaga to Madrid and another travelling from Madrid to Huelva, according to rail operator Adif. Spanish media reported that the two trains were carrying around 500 passengers.
AP, on Monday, cited Antonio Sanz, the regional health minister for Andalusia, saying officials had informed him that more than 20 people had died and that authorities feared the death toll could increase.
“The situation at the crash site is very serious,” Sanz said. “We have a very difficult night ahead.”
He said 73 injured passengers had been taken to six different hospitals, while rescue operations were continuing late into the night. At least one passenger carriage rolled down a four-metre, or 13-foot, slope following the derailment, he added.
Francisco Carmona, the firefighter chief of Córdoba, told Spanish national radio RNE that one of the trains was badly mangled, with at least four wagons off the rails.
The regional Civil Protection chief, María Belén Moya Rojas, told Canal Sur that the accident occurred in an area that is difficult to reach, complicating rescue efforts. She said local residents brought blankets and water to the scene to help victims before emergency services arrived in force.
Spain’s military emergency relief units were deployed alongside firefighters, medical teams and other rescue services. The Red Cross also provided support to healthcare officials at the scene and at hospitals receiving the injured.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a post on X that she was following “the terrible news” from Córdoba.
“Tonight you are in my thoughts,” she wrote in Spanish.
High-speed rail is a popular mode of transport in Spain, which operates one of Europe’s most extensive networks. Adif said train services between Madrid and cities in Andalusia would not operate on Monday as a result of the crash. - January 19, 2026
