Spain declares 3 days of mourning in wake of deadly high-speed train crash

Around 120 people were also injured, including 12 who remain in intensive care after two high-speed trains collided near the town of Adamuz, according to broadcaster RTVE.

According to the Andalusian regional government, 37 people remain missing, and it is not yet known whether some of them are among the confirmed dead.

Premier Pedro Sanchez said the three days of mourning started Monday night and pledged that authorities will get to the bottom of the incident.

"We are going to find out the truth, we are going to learn the answer, and when we know it, we will make it known to the public with absolute transparency and clarity," he said.

The Railway Accident Investigation Committee has reportedly launched a probe while rail operator Renfe has reportedly ruled out human error.

The accident occurred around 7.40 pm local time (1840GMT) when a train traveling from Malaga to Madrid derailed near Adamuz, and encroached onto an adjacent track.

This caused a second train heading south from Madrid to Huelva to also derail.

Regional authorities said two carriages of the Alvia train plunged down a four-meter (13-foot) embankment, complicating rescue efforts, El Pais reported.

‘A very hard day’

Emergency services deployed large-scale resources to the scene, including mobile intensive care units, ambulances, logistics vehicles, and a medical post to do triage and stabilize victims before hospital transfers.

The Military Emergency Unit also sent around 40 personnel and 15 vehicles to assist rescue operations.

Visiting the crash site, Juan Manuel Moreno, Andalusia’s regional president, called it “a very hard day for Andalusia.” He said authorities would provide more reliable figures once identification is completed.

Transport Minister Oscar Puente called the accident “extremely strange,” saying it took place on a straight section of track that was renovated last May. He said an independent commission would investigate whether the cause was related to infrastructure or rolling stock.

Sanchez cleared his schedule for Monday, including a meeting with opposition leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo, and expressed condolences to the victims’ families.

French President Emmanuel Macron also conveyed solidarity with Spain, saying on social media: “France stands with you.”

Rail traffic between Madrid and several Andalusian cities, including Seville, Malaga, Cordoba and Huelva, was also suspended on Monday. Rail operator Renfe said more than 130 services were canceled and offered free changes and refunds to affected passengers.

Adif, Spain’s rail infrastructure manager, set up a hotline to assist relatives of the victims and also announced that the high-speed rail service between Madrid and Andalusia has been suspended "until further notice."

Spain suffered one of its deadliest rail disasters in 2013, when a high-speed train traveling from Madrid to Galicia derailed, killing 79 people and injuring 179 others.

Earlier it was reported, the death toll from a high-speed train collision in southern Spain has risen to at least 39 people, police say, as rescuers search for more victims.