At least 20 killed as high-speed train derails, hits oncoming service

More than 20 people are feared dead after a high-speed train derailed and collided with another train in southern Spain, injuring dozens and prompting suspension of rail services as rescue operations continue

Madrid: Authorities estimate that more than 20 people were killed in a high-speed train crash in southern Spain, a senior official said.

Antonio Sanz, regional health minister for the Andalusia province where the crash happened, said officials fear that the death toll may rise beyond that number.

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Rescue operations are ongoing, he said, adding that 73 injured passengers have been taken to six different hospitals.

The crash happened when a high-speed train derailed Sunday, jumping onto the track in the opposite direction and hitting an oncoming train, leaving at least 10 people dead, authorities said.

The evening train between Malaga and Madrid went off the rails and slammed into a train coming from Madrid to Huelva, another southern Spanish city, according to the Spanish rail operator Adif.

Two Guardia Civil officials confirmed the death toll to The Associated Press by phone and text message. They spoke on condition of anonymity in line with police rules.

Emergency services in Andalucia, the province where the accident happened, said it had recorded 25 people with severe injuries.

The regional Civil Protection chief, Maria Belen Moya Rojas, told Canal Sur that the accident happened in an area that is hard to reach.

Local people were taking blankets and water to the scene to help the victims, she said.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a post on X that she was following “the terrible news” from Cordoba.

“Tonight you are in my thoughts,” she wrote in Spanish.

ADIF said train services between Madrid and cities in Andalucia would not run Monday.