In Adamuz, a small municipality in Córdoba, southern Spain, there was a major high‑speed train disaster in mid‑January 2026 that caused dozens of deaths and hundreds of injuries.

What happened in Adamuz?

  • On the evening of 18 January 2026, a high‑speed passenger train on the Málaga–Madrid route derailed near Adamuz, for reasons that are still under investigation.
  • After derailing, it entered the adjacent track and was struck by another high‑speed train traveling the Madrid–Huelva route, causing both trains to come off the rails and several carriages to overturn or fall down an embankment.

Victims and damage

  • Authorities have reported around 39–40 people dead and several hundred injured, with dozens in serious or critical condition and many treated in hospitals in Córdoba and other nearby cities.
  • Rescue work was difficult because some carriages fell down a slope and were badly twisted, so firefighters, medical teams, police, and Spain’s Military Emergencies Unit worked through the night to reach trapped passengers.

Official response and mourning

  • The Spanish government and the regional government of Andalusia declared several days of official mourning, and senior officials, including the prime minister and the regional president, visited Adamuz and the crash site to support victims and their families.
  • Emergency centers and support points were set up in and near Adamuz to help survivors, relatives, and first responders, with the Red Cross and other services providing psychological and practical assistance.

Investigation and context

  • The section of track involved had been refurbished in 2025, and both trains were relatively new high‑speed units; technical and judicial investigations are now focused on the condition of the infrastructure and any possible technical failures or maintenance issues.
  • A train drivers’ union had previously warned about wear and tear and other problems on some Spanish high‑speed lines, including the area where the derailment occurred, so investigators are examining whether any of these issues played a role.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.