At least 39 killed in high-speed train crash in Spain as desperate rescue mission launched
A train collision on Sunday evening (18 January) has claimed the lives of at least 39 people.
The Spanish Civil Guard said it is the country's worst rail crash in over a decade.
The accident occurred as carriages on a train bound for Madrid from Málaga derailed and crossed over to the opposing tracks, which collided with an oncoming train which was heading from the Spanish capital to Huelva.
They both overturned as they travelled at high speed at around 7.45pm local time yesterday, with the accident taking place in Adamuz, near the city of Córdoba.
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Four hundred passengers and staff were onboard across both trains, say the rail networks, as at least 73 people were taken to hospital in the aftermath.
24 of these were seriously injured, with four being children, report the BBC.
The Spanish Transport Minister, Óscar Puente, said that the accident was 'extremely strange', as an investigation has been launched into the incident.
Speaking to reporters in Madrid, he admitted that the railway experts who were being consulted by the government have been left 'extremely baffled by the accident'.
Due to the force of the crash, the carriages of the second train were pushed into an embankment, with most of those injured and killed tragically in the front carriages of this train.
The type of train involved in the crash is believed to be a Freccia 1000, known to reach speeds of 400 km/h (250 mph).
Authorities explained that the wreckage of the trains made it hard to save people who were trapped in the carriages.
Speaking to Spanish outlet RTVE, Córdoba fire chief Francisco Carmona said: "We have even had to remove a dead person to be able to reach someone alive. It is hard, tricky work."
All rail services between Madrid and Andalusia have been suspended in the aftermath of the tragic incident.
A journalist with RTVE named Salvador Jimenez, was on one of the trains, explaining: "I was in the first carriage. There was a moment when it felt like an earthquake and the train had indeed derailed."
Footage from the scene showed the carriages tipped on their sides, with rescue workers trying to pull people out of the train doors and windows.
Iryo, the private rail company which operated the journey from Málaga, detailed that about 300 passengers were on the first train which derailed.
The other train, operated by the state-funded Renfe, had approximately 100 passengers onboard, with the cause of the crash still unknown.
According to the transport minister, an investigation into the matter likely won't determine the cause for at least a month.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez took to his social media accounts to say that the nation will undergo a 'night of deep pain'.
He said: "Today is a night of deep sorrow for our country over the tragic train accident in Adamuz.
"I want to express my deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims.
"No words can ease such a great suffering, but I want them to know that the entire country is with them at this very difficult time.
"All emergency services are working coordinated without breaks."
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia added in a statement of our own: "We extend our most heartfelt condolences to the relatives and loved ones of the dead, as well as our love and wishes for a swift recovery to the injured."
Emergency workers have told survivors to contact their families or post that they are alive online.
Topics: World News, Travel
Joshua Nair