Portugal’s Algarve region has expressed its solidarity with its neighbouring Spanish region of Andalusia following a tragic train accident on Sunday evening in the province of Córdoba that left at least 41 dead and over 150 injured.
On Monday, the Algarve Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDR Algarve) sent a formal message of condolences to Andalusian authorities and the families affected by the catastrophe. In its message, the commission’s chairman, José Apolinário, highlighted the swift response of civil protection and health services while conveying the Algarve’s sympathy for those impacted.
“The CCDR Algarve expresses its heartfelt condolences and solidarity with the authorities of Andalusia, particularly the city of Huelva, from where many of the victims and injured hail,” Apolinário said.
The tragedy has already led the Andalusian regional government to suspend a scheduled Euroregion cooperation meeting in Ayamonte, involving representatives from the Eurocity of Guadiana and the mayors of Vila Real de Santo António, Castro Marim and Ayamonte, out of respect for the victims. The Andalusian authorities also declared three days of national mourning.
In its message, CCDR Algarve praised these gestures as a “mark of respect” for those lost. Apolinário concluded by extending the region’s deepest sympathies and thoughts to the affected families and communities.
The train crash in Adamuz has been described as Spain’s worst rail crash in a decade. The crash involved two trains: the rear carriages of a high-speed train operated by private company Iryo, travelling from Málaga to Madrid, derailed and collided with an oncoming Renfe service, Spain’s national state-owned railway, en route from Madrid to Huelva.
According to the Spanish state-owned rail infrastructure operator Adif, the Iryo train derailed first, pushing the Renfe service off the tracks and down a railway embankment, causing extensive damage and casualties.
