At least 39 people have died and dozens more have been injured after two high-speed trains collided in southern Spain, the country's Civil Guard has said. The incident near the city of Córdoba has been described by local officials as Spain's worst rail crash in more than a decade.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is expected to visit the scene later on Monday, where rescue efforts are ongoing. Here's what we know about the incident so far.
Where did the crash happen?
The crash occurred at around 19:45 local time (18:45 GMT) on Sunday, about an hour after one of the trains departed Málaga for Madrid. The train derailed and crossed over to the opposite track, operator Adif said. It then collided with an oncoming train travelling from South Madrid to Huelva, which was forced into an embankment running alongside the track, Spain's Transport Minister Óscar Puente said on Sunday. The majority of those killed and injured were in the front carriages of the Huelva-bound train, he added.
What caused the crash?
What caused the train to derail remains unclear. Officials say an investigation has been launched but it is not expected to determine what happened for at least a month. Puente has described the crash as extremely strange and said all the railway experts consulted by the government are extremely baffled by the accident.
The president of Spain's state-owned rail operator, Renfe, said he had discarded the possibility that the incident occurred due to excessive speed or human error.
Álvaro Fernández Heredia told Spain's national radio RNE that even if a mistake had been made, a system within the train would have fixed it. He added that both trains were travelling under the maximum speed limit on the stretch of track where the crash happened. He suggested a mechanical fault or an infrastructure issue was a more likely cause.
Are people still trapped in the trains?
There were around 400 passengers and staff on the two trains, according to a statement from Renfe. It is not clear if there are people still trapped inside the carriages, but rescue teams are on site. The problem is that the carriages are twisted, so the metal is twisted with the people inside, a rescue chief said. They require heavy machinery to lift parts of the train to access the wreckage.
Who are the victims?
The victims of the crash have not yet been identified, and as of midday on Monday, 112 people had received medical assistance, with 43 remaining hospitalized, including several in critical condition.
Survivor accounts
Passengers have described the moment of impact as feeling like an earthquake with windows shattering and luggage flying. One journalist on board shared their experience of the chaotic scene.
