How did two high-speed trains collide in Spain? Here's what we know

Spain is mourning after a fatal train collision between two high-speed trains reportedly left 39 people dead with over 70 injured.

The horrific incident happened on Sunday, January 18, near the town of Adamuz, close to the city of Cordoba, about 360 km south of the capital, Madrid, around 6:40 pm local time.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed his grief over the tragic incident, sharing a message in a post on X (formerly Twitter), "Tonight is a night of deep pain for our country."

How did the 2 trains collide in Spain?

In southern Spain, a high-speed train approaching from Malaga to Madrid derailed and crossed over onto another track, colliding with another fast-moving train.

The Iryo-operated train veered onto an adjacent track near Cordoba and collided with the second train, heading to Huelva from Madrid, the capital of Spain.

Iryo, the private rail company, in a post on social media, said “Around 300 passengers were on the train that first derailed."

On the other hand, the second unfortunate train, state-sponsored, was travelling at a speed of 200 km per hour at the time of the head-on collision, as reported by a local newspaper, El Pais.

According to the state-run broadcast, Espanola, the driver, 27, was among the casualties.

As many as 75 people have been hospitalized, of whom 15 are in serious condition, Reuters reported.

The Spanish Minister of Transport, Oscar Puente, refrained from speculations, stating while talking to reporters in Madrid, “It was really strange that the train derailed on a straight stretch of track, which was refurbished in May last year."

The minister further providing details into the causalities, he said, “Most of those killed and injured were in the first two carriages of the second train. The carriage had 37 people on board, and the second was carrying 16 people.”

While responding to a question on what went wrong, the transport minister said, “It could take at least a month to determine the crash’s cause.”

Puente added that it could take at least a month to determine the crash’s cause.

Authorities confirmed that most passengers on the two ill-fated trains were identified as Spanish nationals.

However, it remains unclear as to how many tourists were on board, since January is not considered a holiday season.