- Spain is reeling from a national disaster after a high-speed train crash in in Cordoba left over 39 people dead and hundreds injured
- Survivors likened the vicious impact to an earthquake, with carriages tipping over and screams filling the air
- Dozens are still in hospital, including kids in ICU, as emergency teams continue scouring the scene for more victims
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Survivors of the high-speed train collision in southern Spain have described scenes of chaos, fear and confusion as investigators work to determine what caused the country’s deadliest rail disaster in more than ten years.
Source: UGC
At least 39 people have been confirmed dead, with dozens more injured, after a Madrid-bound train derailed near Adamuz and crossed onto an opposing track, slamming into an oncoming service.
How Spain train crash occurred
According to a report by BBC, more than 400 passengers and staff were on board the two trains at the time of the crash.
Emergency crews, who worked through the night, treated 122 people at the scene before ferrying the more seriously injured to nearby hospitals.
By Monday afternoon, 43 survivors, including four children, remained admitted, with 13 of them in intensive care.
Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente warned that the death toll “is not yet final”, adding that the full picture of what happened may not be known for weeks.
“The investigation will require detailed technical analysis,” he said, urging patience as rail authorities and forensic teams comb through wreckage sprawled across several hundred metres of track.
Source: UGC
Survivors recount crash moment
For those who lived through the impact, the memory is harrowingly vivid. Salvador Jiménez, a journalist with RTVE, was seated in the first carriage when the train suddenly lurched.
“There was a moment when it felt like an earthquake and the train had indeed derailed,” he recalled, his voice unsteady as he spoke to his own network. “People were thrown from their seats. Everything was shaking, the lights flickered, and then there was this terrible grinding noise.”
Footage captured shortly after the crash shows carriages toppled onto their sides, some crushed against embankments, others twisted at unnatural angles.
Rescue workers clambered over the metal shells, hauling passengers through shattered windows and leaning doors as the injured called for help.
A passenger named José, who was travelling to Madrid, told the media that the moments after the collision were overwhelming.
“There were people and screaming, calling for doctors,” he said. “We were in the dark for a few seconds. You could hear metal creaking, people crying, children calling for their parents. It was horrible.”
Another passenger identified as Ana said the northbound train “tipped to one side… then everything went dark” and all she heard was screams.
How long will investigations take?
Teams of firefighters, paramedics and police officers worked methodically, forming human chains to move survivors to safer ground as engineers checked for fuel leaks and structural instability.
Search dogs were brought in to help locate those trapped under debris. Although early speculation has focused on a potential mechanical failure or signaling issue, officials warned against drawing conclusions.
Minister Puente said it may take at least a month before investigators can determine the precise sequence of events that led to the head-on collision.
As families gather outside hospitals and local authorities set up emergency support centres, Spain is grappling with the shock of a tragedy that unfolded in mere seconds.
For survivors, those seconds have already etched themselves into memory, a sudden jolt, a violent shake, bodies stumbling in the dark, and the desperate hope that help would arrive in time.
NTSA suspends 6 Saccos
Meanwhile, Kenya’s National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) has taken drastic action against six public service vehicle (PSV) operators.
The authority suspended their licenses indefinitely over fatal accidents and systemic safety failures recorded in December 2025 and early January 2026.
NTSA cited repeated violations of speed regulations, failure to adhere to the KS. 2295-2023 standard, and non-compliance with the PSV Operations Regulations 2014 as grounds for the suspensions.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
