What we know so far about the fatal train crash in Spain

At least 39 people have been killed and 170 others injured after two high-speed trains derailed in southern Spain on Sunday.

The trains, travelling to and from Madrid, crashed in Adamuz with hundreds of passengers on board.

Here's everything we know so far.

How did the crash happen?

Follow Spain train crash updates live

Iryo, a high-speed train operator in Spain, said its 6189 service was travelling between Malaga and Madrid with around 300 people on board when it derailed.

After derailing, it jumped on to the track in the opposite direction and hit an oncoming train carrying around 200 passengers travelling from Madrid to Huelva.

Spain's railway infrastructure company ADIF said the crash happened at 7.45pm (6.45pm UK time), about 10 minutes after the Iryo train left Cordoba.

The second train, which took the brunt of the impact, was operated by Spain's public train company Renfe.

Spain's transport minister Oscar Puente said the back part of the first train derailed and slammed into the head of the other train, knocking its first two carriages off the track and down a four-metre slope.

The worst damage was to the front section of the Renfe train, he said.

While the Iryo train had been evacuated within hours of the incident, the Renfe carriages were badly damaged, with twisted metal and people trapped, according to Cordoba fire chief Paco Carmona.

"We have to remove the bodies to reach anyone who is still alive. It is proving to be a complicated task," he told Spanish outlet RTVE.

Number of people killed 'not final'

The number of people killed has been rising since the incident, and transport minister Mr Puente suggested this would continue throughout Monday morning.

Posting on social media on his way to the site, he said the count of people killed was "not final".

As of 8.30am local time, the Andalucian emergency services said 122 patients had been treated for injuries, with 48 still in hospital while the rest had been discharged.

Among those in hospital were five minors, they said, with one of them in intensive care along with 11 adults.

El Pais newspaper reported that the 27-year-old driver of the Madrid to Huelva train was among those killed.

What caused the crash?

Officials have said the cause of the crash is still unknown, with Mr Puente calling it "a truly strange" incident.

He noted that the derailment occurred on a flat stretch of track that had been renovated in May.

Fernandez Heredia, the president of Renfe, said it was "too early" to know the cause, adding the incident was particularly unusual because it occurred on a straight section of the track, with active safety systems.

The Iryo train, which was the first to come off its tracks, was last inspected four days ago, the affected parent company, Italy's Trenitalia, confirmed to Sky News.

"We already know from the speed records that the trains were travelling at a speed lower than that assigned to the section," he said.

He suggested the cause could be related "to some issue with the rolling stock or the infrastructure".

Sources from Spain's interior ministry told Sky News that local prosecutors are waiting for the report from police and are then set to open a criminal probe as soon as possible.

An investigation into the cause of the incident could take around a month.

'There were people screaming'

Passengers on the trains have been sharing their experiences from the crash.

Bianca Birleanu, 23, who was travelling on the train from Madrid to Huelva, told Spain's El Pais newspaper: "We felt the first jolt and, in a fraction of a second, another very strong one.

"The table in front of our seat fell on top of us, the lights went out, and the carriage roof collapsed."

Her partner, Jorge Garcia, also 23, added: "Carriage number two was all rubble, a mangled mess. And the other one was also badly damaged, everything was destroyed."

Another passenger on the second train, who was not identified, told public broadcaster RTVE: "There were people screaming, their bags fell from the shelves. I was travelling to Huelva in the fourth carriage, the last, luckily."

Salvador Jimenez, a journalist for RTVE who was on board the Iryo train, said passengers used emergency hammers to smash the windows and climb out.

One eyewitness recounted how he carried a boy on his back after the crash, and told reporters on Sunday night that he was still looking for the boy's mother and a friend of his, who were with him on the train.

What's happening now?

All high-speed train traffic between Madrid and Andalusia has been suspended because of the incident.

Services between Madrid, Cordoba, Seville, Malaga, Huelva, Cadiz, Algeciras, and Granada will remain suspended at least for the rest of Monday, according to ADIF.

ADIF, Renfe and Iryo have said they have set up support spaces at some of the affected stations to assist relatives of the victims, and have made psychological support available.

(c) Sky News 2026: What we know so far about the fatal train crash in Spain