At least 46 people died in a collision between two high-speed trains on Wednesday morning in Spain, near the town of Urda in the province of Toledo. The official death toll has not yet been confirmed, and fears are growing that it may rise.
Spain's railway infrastructure manager Adif confirmed that two trains collided on the high-speed line connecting Madrid with Andalusia. According to initial reports, one train struck the rear of the other. The accident involved an AVE high-speed train operated by Spanish carrier Renfe and a train from private company Iryo. The crash occurred on the stretch between Los Yébenes and Urda, shortly after 9:00 am local time.
According to emergency services reported by Spanish media, two carriages derailed and fell down the embankment. Sources from the 112 emergency service stated that the AVE high-speed train collided with an Iryo train that was stationary on the line, and initial findings suggest that the AVE struck the rear of the Iryo train, causing two carriages to slide off. Iryo train 7076 was carrying 146 passengers and one infant under one year old, while high-speed train AVE 2080 had 397 passengers. Witnesses speak of numerous injuries.
Firefighters, civil protection personnel, three medical helicopters and mobile emergency medical units were dispatched to the scene. Antonio Sanz, the regional minister responsible for the presidency, health and emergency services in Andalusia, posted on social media platform X that emergency medical vehicles equipped for intensive care and a logistical support vehicle for the Andalusian Health Service (SAS) had been sent to the site. Railway traffic between Madrid and Andalusia has been suspended in both directions while emergency services continue their intervention, Spanish railways announced.
Esther Padilla, spokesperson for the government of the Spanish region of Castilla-La Mancha, warned that the number of fatalities would certainly increase. "The number will definitely rise. The situation will worsen," she told Spanish public broadcaster TVE. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez stated that he was shocked by the collision of the two trains and confirmed that he was in constant contact with Transport Minister Óscar Puente and the president of the Castilla-La Mancha regional government, Emiliano García-Page. The Spanish government has begun cancelling activities planned for today, while party candidates are cancelling pre-election activities.
The cause of the accident is not yet known, and the relevant authorities are establishing the circumstances of the collision.
