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41 Dead in Spain's First High-Speed Rail Disaster
20 Jan
Summary
- Rescue efforts use cranes to access worst-hit train carriages.
- At least 41 people confirmed dead in the Sunday high-speed train crash.
- A faulty rail joint is being investigated as a potential cause.
Emergency services in Spain have deployed cranes to access the severely damaged carriages of a high-speed train that derailed and collided near Adamuz, Cordoba. This tragic incident on Sunday evening marks the first fatal accident on Spain's extensive high-speed rail network.
As of Tuesday, January 20, 2026, the confirmed death toll stands at 41, with another body recovered overnight. Authorities have received 43 missing-person reports, which broadly aligns with the provisional fatality count. Rescue teams are working to lift the derailed carriages to confirm the final number of casualties.
Access to the crash site, located in a rural area reachable by a single-track road, has been challenging for heavy machinery. Experts are examining a potentially faulty rail joint as a key factor in understanding the cause of the derailment that led to the collision between two trains.
King Felipe and Queen Letizia, along with Deputy Prime Minister Maria Jesus Montero, are scheduled to visit the site. Survivors have begun recounting harrowing experiences, describing scenes of chaos and the urgent need to break windows to escape the wreckage.
