Spain's High-Speed Train Crash: 39 Dead in Collision

Crash on new section of line 'extremely strange', minister says Spain's Transport Minister Óscar Puente tells reporters the crash took place on a straight section of track that had been completely renovated last May after major investment. The first train to derail was also "practically new", he says. This made the accident "extremely strange" and "very difficult to explain". Rail experts are "very surprised by this accident", he adds. He says it will take at least a month for the results of the investigation to be released. Train that derailed first inspected four days ago, rail company says The company that operated the train that first derailed while travelling between Málaga and Madrid on Sunday night says the locomotive was inspected just four days ago. In a statement quoted by AFP news agency, Iryo says the train was built in 2022 and so was relatively new. It "veered onto the adjacent track for still unknown reasons", the company says. Carriages on the Iryo-oeprated train derailed and crossed over to the opposite tracks in Adamuz on Sunday night, colliding with an oncoming train travelling south between Madrid and Huelva. Crash survivors urged to contact families The emergency agency in the region of Andalusia has urged any crash survivors, external to contact their families or post on social media that they are alive. "For the peace of mind of your family and friends, it might be a good idea to post it on your social media or WhatsApp status—your loved ones will feel relieved, and the lines will stay free for those who need them," the Emergency Agency of Andalusia said in a post on X. Miguel Ángel Rodríguez from the Spanish Red Cross tells RNE radio: "The families are going through a situation of great anxiety due to the lack of information. These are very distressing moments." EU Commission 'ready to help' if needed The European Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management has said the commission's emergency centre is in touch with Spanish authorities and is "ready to help with support if requested". In a post on X, Hadja Lahbib also expressed her gratitude to the first responders on the scene and sent her condolences to the victims of the "heartbreaking" train crash. 'It felt like an earthquake', says passenger One passenger who was on one of the trains involved in the crash late on Sunday night says the impact of the collision felt like an "earthquake". "I was in the first carriage. There was a moment when it felt like an earthquake and the train had indeed derailed," Spanish RTVE journalist Salvador Jimenez says. There were 400 passengers and staff onboard a Madrid-bound train and an oncoming Adamuz train when they collided, according to the rail networks. José, a passenger onboard the Madrid-bound train, told public broadcaster Canal Sur: "There were people screaming, calling for doctors." Get in touch Are you in the region? If it's safe to do so, get in touch by following this link. You can contact us in the following ways: Email: yourvoice@bbc.co.uk, external WhatsApp: +44 7756 165803, external Tweet: @BBC_HaveYourSay, external And you can send us a video note via WhatsApp or by using this link. Please read our terms and conditions and privacy policy. At least 39 dead and dozens injured in high-speed train crash At least 39 people have been killed and dozens more injured in a high-speed train collision in southern Spain, the country's Civil Guard says. Carriages on a Madrid-bound train derailed and crossed over to the opposite tracks, colliding with an oncoming train near Córdoba on Sunday evening. Four hundred passengers and staff were onboard both trains. Most of those killed and injured were in the front carriages of the second train, which was travelling south from Madrid to Huelva. Emergency services treated 122 people, with 48, including five children, still in hospital. Of those, 11 adults and one child are in intensive care. Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente says the death toll "is not yet final" and an investigation has been launched into the collision, which has been described as the country's worst rail crash in more than a decade. We'll bring you the latest lines on the story over the coming hours - stick with us.