Tourist train overturns in southern Spain, 18 injured in Cártama

A wagon on a tourist train overturned in Cártama, Málaga, sending 18 people to hospital and raising fresh questions about the safety of temporary transport running through crowded public events. Local authorities said none of the victims suffered serious injuries, but the crash interrupted a festival train meant to move visitors between bars and restaurants in the town.

Emergency teams were called at about 21:30 local time, 20:30 BST, on Saturday evening after the wagon flipped in Cártama Pueblo, with reports placing the scene on Santo Cristo street or in the area between the Ruta de la Tapa and El Cóctel route. Four injured people were taken to a nearby hospital, including three children. Other reporting said the injured group included nine minors aged between 5 and 17, alongside nine adults.

The train was operating as part of the XII Ruta de la Tapa y el Cóctel, a five-day food-and-drink festival running from June 10 to June 14 and organized by the Ayuntamiento de Cártama through its commerce department. Town hall material describes the event as a major gastronomic route designed to encourage residents and visitors to visit participating bars and restaurants across the municipality. Some reports said the tourist train was carrying about 30 passengers when the wagon overturned.

The cause of the incident had not been determined. The scale of the emergency response suggested how quickly a seemingly routine festival service can turn into a public safety event, especially when it is carrying families and children through busy streets. Some reports said the train service was suspended for the rest of the weekend while the incident was investigated, leaving local officials to face scrutiny over how such attractions are monitored, operated, and cleared for use during peak crowd periods.