At least 21 people have been killed and dozens more injured following a collision between two high-speed trains in southern Spain on Sunday evening, officials say.
The incident happened near the town of Adamuz, close to the city of Cordoba, when a high-speed train travelling from Malaga to Madrid derailed and crashed onto a neighbouring track, rail network operator Adif said.
A second train travelling in the opposite direction, from Madrid to Huelva, also derailed.
Andalusian emergency services said at least 73 people were seriously injured, as rescue crews continue to remove people trapped in the derailed carriages.
According to Adif, the crash happened about ten minutes after the train left Malaga at 18:40 local time (17:40 GMT). The company said it was setting up spaces for relatives of victims at Atocha, Sevilla, Córdoba, Málaga and Huelva stations.
All rail services between Madrid and Andalusia were suspended following the accident and the company will keep terminals open overnight for impacted passengers.
Iryo, a private rail company that operated the journey from Malaga, confirmed the derailment and said around 300 passengers were on board.
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia said they were following news of the disaster with “with great concern”.
“We extend our most heartfelt condolences to the relatives and loved ones of the dead, as well as our love and wishes for a swift recovery to the injured,” the royal palace said on X.
Salvador Jimenez, a journalist with RTVE who was on one of the trains, said the impact felt like an “earthquake”.
“I was in the first carriage. There was a moment when it felt like an earthquake and the train had indeed derailed,” Jimenez said.
In his latest update on X, he said he was among a group of passengers waiting in the “freezing cold night” for buses to transport them to a local sports centre.
Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, said the government was working with emergency services to help those affected, while Andalusian regional president Juanma Moreno expressed his concern and support for the victims and their families.
