Lee el artículo en español
A high-speed train derailed and hurtled into another train in Spain on Sunday evening, killing at least 39 people and leaving dozens more injured in one of the country's worst rail disasters in more than a decade.
The train, operated by rail company Iryo, was traveling from Malaga to Madrid with 371 people onboard when its rear three carriages derailed and crashed into the front two carriages of another high-speed train traveling in the opposite direction, officials said.
The collision, near Adamuz in the southern region of Andalusia, caused both trains to overturn at speed, news agency EFE reported, with the front carriages of the second train sent plunging down an embankment.
The death toll rose to 39 on Monday morning, EFE reported, citing sources. At least 73 passengers were injured, including 24 in serious condition, emergency officialssaid on X.
Passengers were seen scrambling out of windows of the trains and others escaped via the roof, in video verified by CNN.
The driver of the second train, an Alvia service traveling from Madrid to to the southwestern city of Huelva, was among the dead, EFE reported, citing sources at state-owned rail company Renfe – which owns and operates Alvia.
A mother whose daughter was onboard the same service said her child called her in tears just minutes after the crash, describing the scene as a catastrophe with an incredible number of people dead.
"At that moment, she hung up on me. There was no coverage," the woman told EFE from Huelva train station where distressed relatives are awaiting news of missing passengers.
The tragedy prompted an outpouring of grief across Spain, with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez calling it a "night of deep pain" for the country. European leaders were quick to send their condolences.
The incident marks one of Spain's worst railway accidents sincethe Galicia crash in 2013when 79 people were killed and 144 were injured after a train slammed into a well and burst into flames near Santiago de Compostela.
Following Sunday's incident, which happened shortly after 7.30pm local time, officials in Andalusia launched a large emergency response, involving firefighters, police and a military emergency unit.
Many passengers remained trapped in the hours that followed, with video footage showing rescuers working to free them in pitch-black conditions.
"The problem is that the carriages are twisted, so the metal is twisted with the people inside," the region's chief firefighter Francisco Carmona told Spanish broadcaster RTVE.
Andalusian Regional Government Health Minister Antonio Sanz told local media that the situation is complex and the death toll could rise.
Spain's Transport Minister Oscar Puente said the cause of the incident remains unknown, but added it was "extremely unusual" as it happened on a straight stretch of track which had been recently renovated as part of a € 700m ($8.14m) investment project and the train was relatively new.
"It is truly strange. All the railway experts who have been here today… and those we have consulted are extremely baffled by the accident," Puente told Spanish TV channel Telecinco.
The King and Queen of Spain, who are in Athens with their daughters for the funeral of Princess Irene of Greece, said they are following developments in the tragedy "with great concern."
"We extend our deepest condolences to the families and friends of the deceased, as well as our best wishes for a speedy recover to the injured," saida statementfrom the Royal Household of Spain.
Iryo, the operator of the first train, expressed regret for the incident, saying that it had activated emergency protocols and was working with authorities to manage the situation.
Renfe, Spain's national railway company, said emergency services have been deployed to help the passengers. Psychological support teams and information points have also been set up for victims and their families.
High-speed rail services between Madrid and Andalusia are suspended, and trains traveling on the Seville-Madrid line are being redirected to their point of origin, according to Adif.
Commercial services between Madrid, Toledo, Ciudad Real and Puertollano are operating normally.
CNN's Michael Rios contributed to this report.
For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com
