{"id":5159,"date":"2026-01-20T12:32:30","date_gmt":"2026-01-20T12:32:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jubaglobal.com\/?p=5159"},"modified":"2026-01-20T12:32:31","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T12:32:31","slug":"at-least-40-dead-in-high-speed-train-collision-in-southern-spain-spanish-pm-vows-full-investigation-and-declares-three-days-of-national-mourning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/directtopic.com\/jubaglobal.com\/at-least-40-dead-in-high-speed-train-collision-in-southern-spain-spanish-pm-vows-full-investigation-and-declares-three-days-of-national-mourning\/","title":{"rendered":"At least 40 dead in high-speed train collision in southern Spain: Spanish PM vows full investigation and declares three days of national mourning"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By: Juba Global News Network | JubaGlobal.com<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

January 20, 2026 \u2013 A catastrophic collision between two high-speed trains in the southern Spanish province of C\u00f3rdoba has claimed at least 40 lives and left more than 120 people injured, marking one of the deadliest rail accidents in Europe in over a decade. The crash occurred shortly before 1:00 p.m. local time on Monday near the small town of Adamuz, approximately 40 km northeast of C\u00f3rdoba city, when a Madrid-bound AVE (Alta Velocidad Espa\u00f1ola) service collided head-on with a regional Alvia train traveling in the opposite direction on a single-track section of the Madrid\u2013Seville high-speed line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Collision: What We Know So Far<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to initial reports from Renfe (Spain\u2019s national railway operator) and the Guardia Civil, the Madrid-bound AVE (train number 03214) derailed after striking the oncoming Alvia service (train number 13007) at an estimated combined speed exceeding 300 km\/h. The impact was so violent that the lead carriages of both trains were completely destroyed, with several cars derailing and others overturning. Rescue teams described scenes of twisted metal, scattered debris across the tracks, and passengers trapped in mangled compartments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emergency services\u2014including firefighters, Red Cross volunteers, the Spanish Army\u2019s UME (Military Emergency Unit), and multiple medical helicopters\u2014were mobilized within minutes. Over 200 injured passengers were transported to hospitals in C\u00f3rdoba, Seville, and Ja\u00e9n, with at least 25 reported in critical condition suffering from severe trauma, burns, and crush injuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Official Response and National Mourning<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro S\u00e1nchez, who cut short a trip to Brussels, arrived at the crash site late Monday afternoon. Visibly shaken, he addressed the nation from a makeshift command post:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is a tragedy that has struck at the heart of our country. We mourn with the families who have lost loved ones. A full, independent, and transparent investigation will be carried out immediately. Nothing will be hidden. We have declared three days of official national mourning beginning tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia issued a joint statement expressing \u201cprofound sorrow\u201d and announcing they would visit injured survivors in hospital on Tuesday. All Spanish flags on public buildings were lowered to half-mast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility has launched a joint investigation with the Commission of Railway Accidents and Incidents (CIAF), ADIF (the rail infrastructure manager), and international experts from the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA). Preliminary theories include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n