The accident occurred Sunday night at approximately 7:45 p.m. near the town of Adamuz in Córdoba province, about 360 kilometers (224 miles) south of the capital Madrid. A high-speed Iryo company train traveling from Málaga to Madrid derailed from the tracks, and shortly afterward was struck by an Alvia company train coming from the opposite direction at a speed of approximately 200 kilometers per hour (124 mph), El País newspaper reported. Around 500 passengers were on both trains – over 300 on the Iryo train and 184 on the Alvia train traveling from Madrid to Huelva.

Drone footage from the disaster site showed crushed and twisted carriages lying on their sides. Some passengers were extracted through shattered windows, while others were evacuated on stretchers. Head of Córdoba Fire Services Francisco Carmona described the rescue challenges in a public television interview, "The carriages twisted, and the metal bent around the people inside. We had to remove a deceased person to reach an injured one. It's tough work."

The harrowing testimonies from the disaster have begun emerging. Montse, a passenger on the struck Alvia train, told public television, "The train stopped completely, and everything went dark. Suitcases flew onto passengers. The attendant sitting behind me was hit in the head and was bleeding. Children were crying." According to her, "Luckily, I was in the last car. I feel like I received my life a second time."

"There were people who were right in front of us and were very seriously injured. We knew they were going to die and we couldn't do anything," Ana, a young woman traveling with her sister on the Iryo train, recounted. She and her sister survived, but the dog they were traveling with is still missing.

Transport Minister Puente said that, unlike the 2013 disaster, this derailment occurred on a straight section of track that was recently renovated. According to him, the train that derailed was "almost brand new," making the accident "extremely strange" and "very difficult to explain." Iryo company reported that the locomotive was built in 2022 and was last inspected on January 15, and found to be in proper condition.

State railways company president Álvaro Fernández Heredia also emphasized the unusual circumstances, "This happened on a straight section of track, with a speed limit of 250 kilometers per hour (155 mph). One train was traveling at 205 kilometers per hour (127 mph) and the other at 210 kilometers per hour (130 mph) – this wasn't an excessive speed problem." According to him, the track is equipped with a safety system that prevents human error, and the infrastructure was only replaced last May. "There must have been some failure in the wheel inventory or in the infrastructure," he said, adding that there may still be bodies that have not yet been recovered.

Due to the scale of the disaster, the Spanish Civil Guard opened an office at the Córdoba command headquarters to conduct DNA tests for victim identification. Police in the area are searching for evidence to aid in identifying and investigating the accident. As a result of the disaster, more than 200 trains will be canceled or delayed.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez canceled a planned trip to the Davos economic forum and is expected to visit the disaster site today. "Tonight is a night of deep pain for our country," he wrote on X last night. "There are no words that can ease such great suffering." King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia expressed their condolences to the families of the deceased, and announced they will visit the disaster site tomorrow.