Spain High-Speed Train Collision Kills at Least 30, Dozens Injured

By Staff, Agencies

At least 30 people were killed and around 80 injured on Wednesday, October 28, after a Renfe AVE high-speed train collided with a stationary Iryo train near Urda, in Spain’s Toledo province. 

Regional authorities warned that the death toll could rise as rescue teams continue examining the wreckage.

The collision occurred at approximately 8:54 a.m. local time on the Madrid–Andalusia high-speed line. Two carriages of the Iryo train and one carriage of the AVE train plunged down an embankment, according to emergency services. 

Castilla-La Mancha’s regional president, Emiliano Garcia-Page, said 24 victims were found on the AVE train and six on the Iryo. Around 50 injured passengers were reported to be seriously hurt, while others sustained minor or critical injuries.

The Iryo service was travelling from Madrid to Seville with 147 passengers and an infant, while the Renfe AVE train was carrying 397 passengers. 

The official cause of the collision remains unknown. Spain’s rail infrastructure manager, Adif, said it was examining its systems and the sequence of events, while government sources cited by El País pointed to a possible human error at the Madrid control centre.

Emergency services deployed medical helicopters, ambulances, firefighters and the Military Emergencies Unit to the crash site. Hospitals in several areas suspended non-urgent operations, and Madrid’s blood transfusion centre appealed for donations. 

All high-speed rail traffic between Madrid and Andalusia was suspended, with no date announced for its resumption. Both operators said affected passengers would receive full refunds.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez cancelled his schedule following the disaster, while King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia expressed concern. 

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also conveyed her condolences. The crash comes nine months after a January derailment near Adamuz, Cordoba, killed 46 people, with the cause of that accident still under investigation.