A train collision in Andalusia has left at least 39 dead and over 150 injured; no Italians were involved.

A tragedy that shook Spain and the whole of Europe occurred late Sunday afternoon in Andalusia, where a collision between two high-speed trains resulted in at least 39 deaths and over 150 injuries. The toll is still preliminary and could worsen, while rescue operations and identification of the victims continue unabated. According to Spanish Transport Minister Oscar Puente, the impact was devastating, involving the last carriages of an Iryo train departing from Malaga and bound for Madrid. They derailed near Adamuz, about 200 kilometers from the Andalusian city, crashing into a Renfe train traveling in the opposite direction on an adjacent track.

The force of the impact hurled several Renfe train carriages off the tracks, carrying hundreds of passengers. Television images showed an apocalyptic scene, with convulsed trains, ambulances, and rescuers scrambling to extract the injured. A journalist from public radio station RNE, traveling on one of the trains, reported feeling an earthquake-like tremor, with passengers forced to break windows using emergency hammers to escape.

The Iryo train involved in the accident is an Italian-made ETR 1000, which entered service two years ago and is operated by Ilsa, a consortium with Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane as the majority shareholder. For this reason, the Farnesina is closely monitoring the situation. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has clarified that there are currently no Italian citizens among the victims or injured, although investigations are still ongoing. The Italian Consul General in Madrid is on site to monitor the emergency and assist any Italian nationals who may be injured.

Andalusian authorities described it as an extremely difficult night, while Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced his presence at the accident site, assuring the government of its full commitment to assisting passengers and the families of the victims. Messages of condolence also arrived from the Spanish royal family, who expressed their deepest sympathy to the families of those involved. Meanwhile, high-speed rail traffic between Madrid and several cities in southern Spain was suspended for at least the entire day on Monday, while psychological support services for survivors and relatives were activated at stations, starting with Atocha.