by Donald Wood
Last updated: 7:45 AM ET, Tue January 20, 2026
Update: January 20, 2026, at 7:42 a.m. ET
After Sunday’s deadly high-speed rail crash, Spanish
Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said that “40 bodies were recovered”
from the wreckage and the death toll is expected to rise to 43.
According to ABCNews.com,
over 400 people were on the two trains, with 81 of the injured passengers being
released from care, 41 remaining hospitalized, and 12 in the intensive care
unit.
An exclusive report from Reuters.com
found that experts trying to find the cause of the crash discovered a broken
joint on the rails. The faulty joint reportedly created a gap between the rail
sections that worsened as trains traveled on the track.
Spain's Commission of Investigation of Rail Accidents (CIAF)
did not comment on the report.
Original Text
Two high-speed passenger trains collided in southern Spain
on Sunday, killing at least 39 people and leaving another 152 injured.
According to ABCNews.com,
one of the trains was heading from Málaga to Madrid when it derailed near Adamuz,
crossing over into the path of an oncoming train traveling from Madrid to
Huelva.
Spanish officials, including the Transport Minister, Oscar
Puente, said that at least 39 people died in the accident, but the numbers are
still preliminary. Spain’s prime minister is expected to visit the crash site
on Monday.
“I want to express all my gratitude for the huge effort of
the rescue teams during the night, under very difficult circumstances, and my
condolences to the victims and their families in these terribly painful moments,”
Puente said on social media.
All trains running between Madrid and the Andalusia region have
been suspended.
While the cause of the derailment has not yet been officially
determined, Puente said the area where the crash took place was “straight
stretch of track” and had recently “undergone extensive renovation work.”
“It’s very difficult at this moment to explain,” Puente
said.
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