Emergency teams search for trapped passengers after two high-speed trains collide near Urda, while investigators examine the cause.
At least 64 people are feared dead in a Spain train crash involving two high-speed services near Urda station in Toledo province. The collision triggered a major rescue operation and disrupted rail links between Madrid and southern Spain.
Initial reports indicated that a Renfe train struck the rear of an Iryo service that had stopped on the tracks. Several carriages derailed, with reports also describing some falling down an embankment.
However, authorities had not established an official cause of the collision. The reported death toll remained provisional.
Spain train crash prompts major rescue effort
Regional authorities said more than 500 passengers were travelling aboard the two trains. The Iryo service carried 147 people, including a baby, while the Renfe train carried 397 passengers.
Emergency services sent firefighters, Civil Guard officers, medical personnel and civil protection teams to the scene. Their response focused on rescuing trapped passengers and helping the injured.
Meanwhile, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed shock at the accident and offered support to victims and their families.
Rail operators suspend services
Spain’s rail infrastructure administrator, Adif, said it had suspended high-speed traffic between Madrid and Andalusia following the accident. Renfe also halted services connecting Madrid, Ciudad Real and Andalusia.
As a result, passengers faced significant disruption across routes linking the capital with the country’s southern region.
Investigators examine possible technical failures
Preliminary reports indicated that investigators were examining possible technical or signalling failures. However, authorities had not confirmed whether either factor contributed to the collision.
The investigation will seek to establish how the trains collided and whether operational errors or other factors played a role.
If confirmed, the reported toll would make this Spain’s deadliest rail disaster since 2013. That year, a derailment in north-western Spain killed 80 people.
The latest collision has also renewed concerns about railway safety in a country with one of Europe’s largest high-speed networks.
