High-Speed Train Crash in Spain Leaves at Least 10 Dead

Two high-speed trains derailed late Sunday in southern Spain, killing at least 10 people, according to the emergency services, which were still carrying out rescue operations.

The derailment happened in Adamuz, in the province of Córdoba. Around 7:45 p.m., the rear carriages of a privately operated train traveling to Madrid from Málaga, on the country’s southern coast, left the tracks and spilled onto the opposite track, Transport Minister Óscar Puente said.

On that track, he said, a state-run Renfe train bound for the city of Huelva was passing at that moment. The crash caused the front two carriages of the Renfe train to derail as well, he said.

The cause of the initial derailment is not yet known.

María Belén Moya, the head of Adamuz’s civil protection services, said there were at least 10 people killed and more than 25 seriously injured, according to the Andalusian regional broadcaster, Canal Sur.

The toll could grow.

“The number of victims cannot yet be confirmed,” Mr. Puente said in a post on X. “The impact was terrible.”

Rail traffic between Madrid and several major cities in southern Andalusia — including Córdoba, Seville, Málaga and Huelva — will be suspended throughout Monday, according to a statement from ADIF, the state-owned rail infrastructure agency.

The regional government of Andalusia set up an advanced medical post at the crash site to treat victims there.

Paco Carmona, the director of Córdoba’s fire brigade, which is coordinating the rescue effort, told public television that emergency crews were prioritizing assistance for victims still trapped in the two carriages most severely damaged in the crash.

“We are trying to organize an orderly evacuation of the victims,” Mr. Carmona said.

“The government is working with the relevant authorities and emergency services to assist the passengers,” Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said in a post on X.

Spain ranks second worldwide in high-speed rail network length, behind China, according to the International Union of Railways.