Two High-Speed Trains Collide in Central Spain

At least 30 people are dead after two high-speed trains collided in central Spain on Wednesday.

The crash occurred in the province of Toledo, south of Madrid. Authorities say the death toll is expected to rise.

The collision happened in a flat section of track surrounded by fields between the towns of Urda and Los Yeben. The impact caused two carriages to derail. Debris was scattered across a gravel slope. One carriage was severely damaged. The Spanish railway infrastructure manager, ADIF, confirmed the incident took place on Wednesday morning.

Regional government spokesperson Esther Padilla told public broadcaster TVE that both trains were traveling in the same direction from Madrid to Seville. She said one train struck the rear of the other while it was stopped. The cause of the accident is currently unknown. Spanish media reports suggest a possible human error. The involved operators were the state-owned Renfe and the private company Iryo. Renfe reported 397 passengers on board its train. Iryo reported 147 passengers on its train.

Emergency services responded to the scene in the early hours. Manuel Galan, the mayor of Urda, told TVE that injured passengers were being treated. Civil Protection authorities asked the local city hall to prepare a sports pavilion for the affected individuals. The region’s president, Emiliano Garcia-Page, stated that 80 people were injured. He said about 50 of those injured were in serious condition. Garcia-Page warned that more deaths were expected because rescue teams had not yet reached the rear of the damaged carriages. He confirmed that all passengers who could exit on their own or with assistance had been evacuated.

Health Minister Monica Garcia spoke to national television about the ongoing rescue efforts. She said teams were focusing on retrieving survivors and bodies from the two most damaged carriages. Injured passengers were being transported to various local hospitals. Garcia described the impact as occurring at high speed. She called the event a tragedy. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he was shocked by the severe railway accident. He noted that emergency services were working at the site to care for those affected. He expressed solidarity and support to the victims and their families.

This is the second major railway accident in Spain this year. In January, 45 people died in southern Spain when a train derailed and hit another train moving in the opposite direction. That incident was the deadliest in the country since 2013, when 80 people died. The January crash reduced public confidence in the high-speed rail network. Train services are currently suspended between Madrid, Ciudad Real, and Andalusia.