39 killed in a severe train accident in Spain

Around 39 people have died in a horrific accident where two high-speed trains collided near Adamuz, a town in Spain's southern Andalusia region. This accident, which occurred on Sunday afternoon, is reported as one of the most serious train tragedies in Spain's recent history, with many others injured and hospitalized.

According to reports, the accident occurred when an Iryo train, traveling from Málaga to Madrid, derailed and entered an adjacent track. At that moment, a state-owned Renfe Alvia train, traveling in the opposite direction from Madrid to Huelva, collided with the derailed Iryo train which was obstructing the track. Due to this severe collision, several train carriages were thrown off the track, falling into a four-meter deep ravine and being completely destroyed.

At the time of the accident, over 500 passengers were traveling on both trains, and rescue workers stated that passengers were trapped between the twisted metal and seats of the deformed carriages. The head of the Córdoba fire department mentioned that they even had to remove bodies from the debris to rescue those who were still alive, describing it as a very complex and painful operation.

Spanish Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, described the incident as "unusual and difficult to explain," given that the Iryo train involved in the accident was a modern one, in use for less than four years, and had been inspected just a few days prior. The minister also pointed out that the accident occurred on a very straight section of the railway track. The Railway Accident Investigation Commission (CIAF), an independent body operating under the Ministry of Transport, has already launched a full technical investigation into the matter.

Special teams of psychologists and military emergency response units (UME) have been deployed to support the victims and their relatives. Following this accident, authorities have taken steps to completely suspend high-speed train traffic between Madrid and Andalusia, and rescue services warn that the death toll could rise further.