• At least 39 people have died and over 122 have been injured in a high-speed train collision in southern Spain.
• The incident occurred near Adamuz, involving a train operated by Iryo and another by Renfe.
• Investigation into the causes is ongoing, with suggestions of a mechanical failure or infrastructure issues.
• The collision marks the worst railway tragedy in Spain in the last 13 years.
• Emergency services continue to evaluate the situation, with possibilities that the number of victims could rise.

In a devastating accident on Sunday evening, two high-speed trains collided near Adamuz, in southern Spain, resulting in at least 39 confirmed deaths and over 122 injuries, with numbers expected to rise as rescue efforts continue, according to SCMP, Channel News Asia, Reuters, and The Local.

The incident occurred around 6:40 PM local time, less than ten minutes after the Iryo train, which was heading from Málaga to Madrid, left the station. The collision resulted in significant chaos, with the rear carriages of the Iryo train derailing and colliding with a Renfe train traveling in the opposite direction. The impacts were exacerbated by the fact that both trains were travelling at high speeds, around 110 kph for the Iryo and 205 kph for the Renfe train, according to various reports including Channel News Asia and Reuters.

Emergency services immediately responded, highlighting the "horrific" scene, with some train carriages thrown off an embankment, complicating rescue operations. Local officials stated the extent of injuries indicated that more effort would be required to assess the full scale of the tragedy. A spokesman from Renfe confirmed that the driver of the Alvia train was among the deceased, marking a significant loss as the investigation unfolds and authorities seek to understand how such an unusual incident could have occurred on a straight track, typically less prone to derailments, as noted by Reuters and The Local.

Transport Minister Óscar Puente has labeled the accident "tremendously strange,” considering investigations rule out human error due to automated safety systems in place. Preliminary investigations have pointed towards possible failure in the rolling stock or rail infrastructure, with various expert opinions stating that it could also be a case of a "fatality" that prevented the safety measures from adequately responding in time, aligning with statements from The Local and Reuters.

Furthermore, the operators of Iryo had reported that their train was recently inspected and was in optimal condition, raising further questions about the safety of Spain's rail system and infrastructure, which had been recently renovated at a cost of €700 million. The track involved is notable for being part of Spain's extensive high-speed railway network, which is among the largest in Europe, according to SCMP and Reuters.