Spain reels after high-speed train collision kills 21 in Andalusia

Spain on Monday reeled from a collision between two high-speed trains in the southern region of Andalusia that killed 21 people and injured more than 70, with the prime minister lamenting a "night of deep pain".

The disaster struck on Sunday evening when a service travelling from Malaga to Madrid derailed near Adamuz, crossing onto the other track where it crashed into an oncoming train, which also derailed, Spain's Adif rail network operator posted on X.

A police spokesperson told AFP 21 people had died. Antonio Sanz, the top emergencies official in Andalusia, told a press conference that at least 73 people had been injured.

"The situation is likely to see the death toll increase," he said, adding that "a very complicated night awaits us".

Transport Minister Oscar Puente told reporters that 30 people were rushed to hospital in serious condition, adding that all the injured had been evacuated to receive care.

The disaster took place on a straight part of the track, which was completely renovated, Puente said, adding that the first train to derail was "practically new", making the accident "extremely strange".

Rail operator Iryo said around 300 people were on board its Malaga-Madrid service.

The hundreds of passengers left in the wreckage hampered the frantic work of emergency services.

"The problem is that the carriages are twisted, so the metal is twisted with the people inside," Francisco Carmona, head of firefighters in Cordoba, told public broadcaster RTVE.

"We have even had to remove a dead person to be able to reach someone alive. It is hard, tricky work," he added.

Some of the carriages had tumbled down an embankment of four metres, Sanz said at his press conference.

- 'A horror movie' -

A passenger on the second train, bound for the city of Huelva, who gave only her first name Montse, told Spanish public television the train, "with a jolt, came to a complete stop, and everything went dark".

She described being thrown around in the last carriage and seeing luggage tumble on other passengers.

"The attendant behind me hit her head and was bleeding. There were children crying," she added. "Luckily, I was in the last car. I feel like I was given a second chance at life."

Survivor Lucas Meriako, who was travelling on the first train that derailed, told La Sexta television that "this looks like a horror movie".

"We felt a very strong hit from behind and the feeling that the whole train was about to collapse, break... there were many injured due to the glass," he said.

High-speed services between Madrid and the Andalusian cities of Cordoba, Seville, Malaga and Huelva would be suspended for the entirety of Monday at least, Adif announced.

Adif said spaces had been set up at stations in Madrid, Seville, Cordoba, Malaga and Huelva to assist the relatives of victims.

The defence ministry said it was sending around 40 members of its emergencies military unit and some 15 vehicles to the site of the accident.

- 'Night of deep pain' -

"Today is a night of deep pain for our country owing to the tragic rail accident in Adamuz," Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez wrote on X.

"No words can alleviate such great suffering, but I want them to know that the whole country is by their side in this tough moment," he added.

The royal palace said on X that Spain's King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia were following the news "with great concern", offering "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".

French President Emmanuel Macron and European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen were among the world leaders offering condolences.

Spain boasts Europe's largest high-speed rail network, with more than 3,000 kilometres (1,800 miles) of dedicated tracks connecting major cities including Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Valencia, and Malaga.

In 2013, a high-speed train derailment outside the northwestern city of Santiago de Compostela killed 80 people and injured more than 140 -- Spain's deadliest such tragedy since 1944.