At least 35 people were killed and more than 50 injured when a high-speed train derailed late Wednesday near Santiago de Compostela in north-western Spain, authorities said.
The train carrying 218 passengers was travelling from Madrid to Ferrol in the north-west. All 13 cars derailed in a curve approaching the Santiago de Compostela station, dpa reported.
The rear engine caught fire while one of the wagons was hurled 5 metres up a hillside. Wagons that were ripped open or crashed on top of each other were scattered on the rails.
Rescuers struggled to pull victims out of wagon windows. Bodies covered with blankets lay on the rails.
Many passengers on the train were pilgrims bound for events dedicated to the patron saint of Santiago de Compostela. The city cancelled the festival.
The accident was the first affecting Spain's high-speed AVE network.
The Interior Ministry excluded an attack as the cause of the accident.
