High-speed train collision in southern Spain leaves at least 39 dead

"High-speed train derailed, jumped onto the track in the opposite direction and crashed into an oncoming train on Sunday in southern Spain Spain's transport minister Oscar Puente updated the death toll but said more victims could be confirmed The crash happened in an area that is hard to reach- locals were taking blankets and water to the scene to help the victims"

"Spain's transport minister Oscar Puente updated the death toll to 21 after midnight when he said rescuers had removed all the survivors. The death toll was updated again shortly after 6am this morning, this time to 39 people. Andalucia regional president Juanma Moreno said 75 passengers were in hospital, with most taken to the nearby city of Cordoba, including 15 people with serious injuries."

"Mr Puente said the cause of the crash was unknown. He called it "a truly strange" incident because it happened on a flat stretch of track that had been renovated in May. He also said the train that jumped the track was less than four years old. That train belonged to the private company Iryo, while the second train, which took the brunt of the impact, was part of Spain's public train company Renfe."

A high-speed train derailed near Córdoba on Sunday, jumped onto the opposite track and collided head-on with an oncoming train. Around 300 passengers were aboard the Malaga-to-Madrid train and about 200 were on the Madrid-to-Huelva service. Authorities reported multiple death toll updates overnight, rising from 21 to 39 as rescuers completed searches and removed survivors. Seventy-five passengers were hospitalized, including 15 with serious injuries, and most were taken to Córdoba. Emergency services, the Civil Guard, Civil Defence and the Spanish Red Cross worked at the scene in cold conditions, with locals bringing blankets and water. The cause of the crash remained unknown; the track had been renovated in May and the derailed train was less than four years old.

Read at Irish Independent