Early this Monday, January 19, authorities confirmed the death of 39 people, a figure that was initially 21 dead, according to the Ministry of the Interior.

The railway tragedy in Spain that occurred in the town of Adamuz, in the province of Córdoba, left a balance that increased dramatically overnight.

The disaster also left at least 123 people injured, of which five remain in very serious condition and 24 more have serious injuries.

Those affected were transferred to care centers in Córdoba and Andújar, while emergency services confirmed that all victims were evacuated from the accident area.

The accident occurred around 7:40 pm on Sunday, when a high-speed train from the private operator Iryo, which covered the Malaga-Madrid route, derailed at the entrance to the Adamuz station and invaded the adjacent track.

Also read: They fell when they intimidated residents: attempted robbery ended with two captured in Bosa

Just seconds later, a Renfe Alvia train traveling from Madrid to Huelva violently collided with several of the derailed cars.

The impact was of such magnitude that the first cars of the Madrid-Huelva train were thrown off the track. Images spread on social media showed cars tilted, completely off the rails, while dozens of ambulances and rescue teams worked through the night.

The Military Emergency Unit was deployed to support the rescue efforts and a field hospital was installed in the vicinity of the site. Passengers described scenes of panic, broken glass and injured people inside the carriages.

The causes of the derailment have not yet been determined. The Minister of Transportation, Óscar Puente, described the event as “tremendously strange,” taking into account that the damaged train was relatively new and that the infrastructure had recently been renovated.

Preliminary investigations indicate that about 20 seconds passed between the derailment and the collision.

Given the magnitude of the disaster, the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, decreed three days of official mourning and canceled his agenda to closely monitor the emergency.

The high-speed lines between Madrid and Andalusia remain suspended while investigations progress and railway safety is restored.

More International news