Surviving passengers of Cordoba train crash recount incident: 'We were thrown around and suitcases fell on top of us. I was given a second chance'

The images that passengers on the trains that derailed in the town of Adamuz in Cordoba province on Sunday evening have posted on social media show the scale of the incident: passengers in a state of shock checking if they can move and find their belongings inside the affected carriages; ambulances transporting the injured; the damage to the trains.

Montse Ruiz, one of the passengers on the Alvia train travelling from Madrid to Huelva, specifically in carriage 4, described the critical moment of the incident: "The train was travelling normally, until it suddenly started to brake. The train stopped and everything went out. I was sitting in the last carriage and I was thrown around. There were people screaming, suitcases fell on top of us and the supervisor was behind me, covered in blood. I was given a second chance."

Another passenger, Carmen, posted a thread with her testimony and photos on her X account (@eleanorinthesky). "We were on the Iryo from Cordoba to Madrid. About ten minutes after depature, the train started to shake a lot and it derailed from carriage 6 to the back. The lights went out. We were in carriage 5, where, luckily, it seems that everyone was fine. Passengers from carriage six backwards have been moved to the front carriages, which are not damaged. They're going to let us out in an orderly way. From the window we can see a small station, we think it's Adamuz."

In an audio clip published by Cadena Ser, a train attendant explains how she experienced the incident: "I'm better now. I was in the rear cab, putting away the printer after selling a ticket. I was sitting down with the door closed when I was thrown violently forwards. I hit the door with my head and lost consciousness. The entire right side of my body and my head are in severe pain, but I was able to walk to where the firefighters were."

Two women who were travelling on the Iryo train also shared their experiences. "Suddenly, the carriage started to move and the train overturned. One train derailed and the other overturned completely. They pulled us out of the window," they said.

Emergency services have also given testimonies in the aftermath of the tragedy. "We have had to remove some of the deceased in order to get some survivors out alive. We are trying to get injured people out," head of the Cordoba fire brigade Paco Carmona said.

RNE journalist Salvador Jiménez, who was also travelling aboard the Iryo train, said: "There's a passenger on a stretcher being treated on top of the carriage. We dont yet know how we're going to get out of here. You can see the fear and shock on people's faces, some are bleeding and injured. It's a very tough situation. The impact felt like an earthquake: trays and glasses were sent flying and the crew had to smash windows with emergency hammers to help passengers escape."

In a video posted on social media, a crew member can be seen providing information to the passengers from inside the train: "The situation is serious and the train is at a standstill. For now, it is safer to remain inside than to go outside. From carriage five onwards the situation is very complex and there are only five crew members on board. Please remain seated. The doors will be opened shortly and if passengers are coming from the rear of the train, we will give them priority. When we consider it safe to evacuate, we will do so. In the meantime, please help by looking out for elderly passengers and children and avoid using up your phone batteries in case we need to walk."

In another video, the same worker tells passengers: "Those who have a seat, stay seated. If anyone has first aid knowledge, keep an eye on other people here. When we think it is safe to go out, we will do so, because we don't know the track conditions. Trust us, we have many years of preparation. But if we become rebellious, the years of collaboration are not worth it. Always stay together."

Another recording shows passengers trying to help those trapped inside the Iryo train by pulling them out through windows shattered in the collision, as the first ambulances arrive at the scene to begin transferring the injured. In the video and accompanying photographs, passengers can be seen moving along one side of the carriage, which is lying on the ground after the derailment. Meanwhile, several passengers have managed to escape and climb onto the roof of the carriage.