A high-speed train smashed into another train after derailing in the southern province of Córdoba, officials said. The cause of the accident was not immediately clear.
The train accident happened late Sunday in southern Spain, killing at least 21 people and injuring dozens.
At least 21 people died in the accident and at least 73 were injured, the emergency agency in the southern region of Andalucía said on social media. The death toll was expected to rise, said Juanma Moreno, the president of the Andalucía government.
The emergency agency said 24 of the injured people were in serious condition.
The accident occurred around 7:45 p.m. in Adamuz, in the southern province of Córdoba.
The rear cars of the first train left the tracks and spilled onto the opposite track where another train was passing, causing the front two cars of the second train to also derail, Transport Minister Óscar Puente said.
The first train was traveling to Madrid from Málaga, on the country’s southern coast, and was privately operated.
The second train, operated by Spain’s national rail company, was bound for the southern city of Huelva, west of Seville.The cause of the initial derailment was not immediately clear. Mr. Puente said it had occurred on a straight portion of track.
The first train was just a few years old and the section of track had been recently been replaced, he added.
Spain ranks second worldwide in high-speed rail network length, behind China, according to the International Union of Railways.
Rail suspensions: Rail traffic between Madrid and several major cities in southern Andalucía — including Córdoba, Seville, Málaga and Huelva — will be suspended on Monday, Spain’s state-owned rail infrastructure agency said in a statement.
The victims: The Andalucía government set up an advanced medical post at the crash site to treat victims, and the Córdoba city government issued an urgent appeal for doctors to help treat the injured. Paco Carmona, the director of Córdoba’s fire brigade, which is coordinating the rescue effort, told public television that emergency crews were prioritizing assistance for victims still trapped in the two carriages most severely damaged in the crash.
Transport Minister Oscar Puente called the accident “extremely strange” and said it happened on a straight portion of the track in Adamuz, Spain. Crews continued to search through the wreckage of the crash early Monday, as officials warned that the number of dead may rise.
