Spain Train Accident: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Monday offered condolences to the families of those who died in a train accident in Adamuz, Spain, and wished a swift recovery to those injured. “Saddened to learn about the tragic train accident yesterday in Adamuz near Cordoba city, Spain. Deepest condolences to the families who lost their loved ones. Wishes for the swift recovery of those injured,” Jaishankar wrote on X.
The accident on Sunday afternoon left at least 39 people dead and more than 100 others injured, Spain’s El Pais reported. Of the injured, 48 remain hospitalized, including 12 in intensive care. Nearly 500 people were on board two trains involved in the accident. The Iryo train from Malaga to Madrid carried 300 passengers, while the Alvia train from Madrid to Huelva carried 184. Spanish Transport Minister Oscar Puente, who visited the crash site, said the death toll “is not final.”
Rescue and emergency operations continued through the night. The Spanish Red Cross set up a help center in Adamuz to assist those affected, while civil guard and civil defense personnel remained at the site. The accident is being called Spain’s deadliest rail disaster in over a decade.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez described the incident as “a night of pain” for the nation and canceled his planned trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos.
Spain’s King and Queen will visit Cordoba on Tuesday to meet authorities, and possibly injured people and relatives of the victims.
The Huelva City Council declared three days of official mourning. Flags on city hall are flying at half-mast, and the San Sebastian Festival program has been suspended.