Death toll soars after high-speed train crash in Spain
More than 20 people died in the high-speed train accident that occurred in the south of Spain.
Antonio Sanz, the regional health minister of the Andalusia state where the accident occurred on Sunday evening, said authorities feared the death toll could rise.
Rescue operations are ongoing, he said, adding that 73 injured passengers have been taken to six different hospitals.
According to Spanish railway operator Adif, the evening train between Malaga and Madrid derailed and crashed into the train from Madrid to Huelva, another southern city in Spain.
Two Guardia Civil officials confirmed the death toll to The Associated Press via phone and text message. They spoke on condition of anonymity in line with police rules.
Authorities said nearly 100 people were injured, 25 of them seriously.
The Iryo high-speed train, operated by Italy’s Trenitalia, derailed on its way from Malaga to Madrid late on Sunday evening and ended up on the neighboring track.
An oncoming high-speed train operated by Spanish company Renfe also derailed, according to emergency services, citing rail network operator ADIF.
Adif, which operates the rail network, said in a social media post: “The Iryo 6189 Malaga – (Madrid-bound) train derailed at Adamuz and crashed into the adjacent rails. The (Madrid) Huelva-bound train, traveling on the adjacent track, also derailed.”
Adif said the accident occurred about ten minutes after the Iryo train left Malaga for Madrid at 18.40 on Sunday.
Iryo is a private railway operator operated by Italy. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Adif suspended all rail services between Madrid and Andalusia.
Andalusian emergency services said on social media that all rail traffic had been stopped and emergency services, including at least nine ambulances and emergency support vehicles, were on the way.
RTVE journalist Salvador Jimenez, who was on the train from Cordoba to Madrid, shared images showing that the rear carriage of the train was lying on its side and the evacuated passengers were sitting on the side of the carriage.
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