Tragedy struck in Spain as two high-speed trains derailed, resulting in the deaths of at least 10 people and injuring 100 others.

The catastrophic incident occurred in Adamuz, near Cordoba, at approximately 6:40 p.m. local time on Sunday.

One train was en route from Málaga to Madrid, while the other was headed to Huelva. Both trains derailed as they sped along adjacent tracks. According to El Mundo, the train driver heading to Huelva was among those who lost their lives.

Emergency services for the Andalusia region shared on X, “There are injured individuals due to the derailment and collision in Adamuz, Cordoba.”

While the complete extent of the disaster remains unclear, authorities have yet to confirm the exact number of fatalities. However, ABC reported that at least 100 people sustained injuries, with 25 of them in serious condition.

Local media also reported that 317 people were on the Madrid-bound train. 

It is not currently known how many people remain trapped, but horrifying footage showed rescue teams desperately working in pitch-black conditions to free those who remain in the trains.

Journalist Salvador Jiménez of Radio Nacional de España (RNE), who was on the train at the time, said the derailment felt ‘like an earthquake’.

He said the train’s crew immediately called out for medical personnel onboard to help the injured, adding that at least one of the derailed carriages ‘had completely overturned’ and had broken windows. 

Horrifying footage showed rescue teams desperately working in pitch-black conditions to free those trapped in the trains that derailed in Adamuz near Cordoba

The full scale of the incident is not currently known, and authorities have not confirmed the number of people who have died

Passengers wait in the hall of Madrid train station on January 18, 2026, following the announcement of the suspension of service due to an accident in which two trains derailed in Cordoba

Ambulances gather at the Puerta de Atocha train station in Madrid, Spain, 18 January 2026

Passengers then began to exit the train as crew members grabbed hammers to force open the windows and door of the derailed carriages, he said. 

Emergency services were first called to the scene at 7.50pm. 

Local media reported that a large emergency response has been mobilised, made up of dozens of ambulances, mobile ICUs and support vehicles, to treat the injured. 

Firefighters from seven stations in the area have also been dispatched. 

The president of the Madrid region, Isabel Diaz Ayuso, said its hospitals were available to the Andalusia region if required. 

Local residents have also reportedly begun providing support for those affected, bringing food and blankets to makeshift field hospitals. 

ADIF and train operator Renfe have set up spaces at stations in Atocha, Seville, Cordoba, Malaga, and Huelva to assist family members of the victims who may need it.

Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez said in a post to X: ‘Very concerned about the accident between two high-speed trains that have derailed in Adamuz (Córdoba).

‘The Government is working with the rest of the competent authorities and emergency services to assist the passengers.’

Spain’s transport minister, Oscar Puente, said information coming in about the crash is ‘very serious’. 

In a post on X, he wrote: ‘The impact has been terrible, causing the first two units of the Renfe train to be thrown off as a result’.

‘The number of victims cannot be confirmed at this time. The fundamental priority now is to assist the victims.’

The number of people still trapped in the wreckage of the two trains is still not known

The accident happened Adamuz near Cordoba at 7:39pm local time

The King and Queen of Spain – who, at the time of the crash, were in Athens with their daughters for the Monday funeral of Princess Irene of Greece – have said they are following developments in the tragedy ‘with great concern.

The Royal Household of Spain said in statement: ‘We continue to follow with great concern the serious accident between two high-speed trains in Adamuz.

‘We extend our deepest condolences to the families and friends of the deceased, as well as our best wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured’.

All high-speed rail traffic between Madrid and Cordoba, Seville, Malaga, and Huelva will be suspended throughout Monday at least, per ADIF, Spain’s national rail network operator. 

The cancellations of the high-speed trains left dozens at Madrid’s Atocha Station scrambling for alternative transport or last-minute accommodation. 

El Mundo reported that queues at car rental offices at the station have long queues of weary travellers, while many are demanding buses to complete their journeys. 

The crash came just months after three British nationals, Kayleigh Smith, 36, William Nelson, 44, and David Young, 82, were among 16 people who died in the Gloria funicular tram disaster in Lisbon when the streetcar derailed and crashed in the Portuguese capital.

In 2013, 79 people died after a high-speed train veered off the track on a sharp bend near the Spanish northwestern city of Santiago de Compostela, slammed into a concrete wall and burst into flames.

Another 143 people were injured in Spain’s worst train crash in decades.

The Daily Mail has contacted the UK’s foreign office for comment.  

More to follow.