At least 30 killed as two high-speed trains collide in Spain
Several carriages plunge down embankment near Toledo; rescue teams deployed and rail services suspended
At least 30 people were killed after two high-speed trains collided near Toledo in Spain on Wednesday, sending several carriages down an embankment and triggering a large-scale rescue operation, according to the Castilla-La Mancha regional government.
The collision occurred shortly after 9 am local time near the towns of Mora and Orgaz and involved Renfe and Iryo trains operating on the Madrid-Seville route. Two carriages of the Iryo train derailed following the impact, a spokesperson for the regional government said.
Esther Padilla, spokesperson for the Castilla-La Mancha regional government, said 147 people, including a baby, were travelling aboard the Iryo train, while 397 passengers were on the Renfe service.
Several carriages plunged down an embankment, prompting firefighters and medical teams to rush to the scene. Hospitals in Toledo, Alcazar de San Juan and Ciudad Real were put on alert to receive the injured.
Rail operator Adif said traffic on the Madrid-Andalusia high-speed corridor had been suspended following what it described as a rear-end collision between the trains.
Images circulating on social media showed damaged carriages lying on their sides, with wreckage scattered across the site. Footage broadcast by Castilla-La Mancha Television showed a carriage stranded on an elevated section of track, with twisted metal and broken panels below.
Manuel Galan, mayor of nearby Urda, told Spanish radio network Cadena SER that authorities had asked the local council to prepare emergency facilities, including a sports hall, to accommodate passengers and the injured.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez expressed shock over the accident, saying he was in contact with the transport minister and the regional government to monitor the situation. He extended his “affection, solidarity, and support” to the victims and their families.
Sanchez cancelled his scheduled engagements for Wednesday, while the opposition People's Party called off its campaign events following the accident, a spokesperson said.
The collision comes nine months after another deadly high-speed train accident on the same railway line. In January, 46 people were killed near Adamuz in Cordoba province after an Iryo train derailed and collided with an oncoming Renfe train. That disaster prompted debate over investment in railway infrastructure and maintenance.
Authorities were investigating the cause of Wednesday's collision.