Tourist Train Overturns in Cártama, 17 Injured During Tapas Festival

Sun Jun 14 2026 15:14:11 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

A free tourist train derailed during an annual tapas event in Cártama, Spain, leaving 17 people hurt. The incident disrupted the Ruta de la Tapa y el Cóctel and saw emergency crews on scene quickly.

A red tourist train, part of a free ride to local tapas stalls, tipped over in the Spanish town of Cártama at about 21:30 BST, injuring 17 passengers. No serious wounds were reported, but four people, three of them children, were taken to a nearby hospital. The accident occurred while the train was turning at a crossing on Santo Cristo road. Local authorities are investigating, and the train service has been halted for the rest of the weekend. The event, running from 10 to 14 June, encourages visitors to explore a map of bars and restaurants, collect stamps and enter a raffle for prizes.

By Sofia Ferreira Santos — June 14, 2026

Seventeen people were injured when a tourist train overturned in Cártama, a Spanish town near Malaga. The small red train, part of an annual free ride to local tapas stalls, tipped over on a corner of Santo Cristo road just after 21:30 BST on Saturday night. The exact cause remains unknown at the moment.

Emergency teams rushed to the site. Four injured passengers—three of them children—were taken to a nearby hospital, but authorities confirmed that none sustained serious injuries.

The ride was a centerpiece of the “Ruta de la Tapa y el Cóctel.” The free train service, carrying roughly 30 passengers at the time of the incident, was designed to ferry visitors between a series of local bars and restaurants during the event, which ran from 10 to 14 June. Participants collect stamps from each stop and can enter a raffle for prizes.

Photos circulating online show the chaotic scene. Several passengers can be seen on the overturned wagon as emergency crews attend to a child lying on the floor.

The train was turning at a crossing when it tipped. Heads-up trucks and ambulances arrived following multiple emergency calls, and the service has been suspended for the remainder of the weekend while investigators look into the incident.

Cártama’s location makes it a frequent stop for tourists heading to Malaga or Marbella. The town sits just 17 km (10.6 mi) from Malaga and 44 minutes’ drive from the affluent resort of Marbella.