Spain is in shock after two high-speed trains collided on Wednesday morning, killing at least 30 people, according to tragic reports.
It marks the second deadly disaster on the same railway line in under a year.
As per BBC News, the crash occurred just before 9 a.m. in the province of Toledo, around 120 kilometers south of Madrid, close to the village of Urda, between the towns of Mora and Orgaz.
Both trains are said to have been traveling from Madrid to Seville on the Madrid–Andalusia high-speed line. According to Reuters, a train operated by the private company Iryo was stopped or moving slowly when a train from Spain’s state-owned operator Renfe crashed into it from behind.
The impact derailed several carriages, with images taken at the scene showing carriages lying on their sides next to the tracks, debris scattered across the countryside.
As many as 397 people were on board the Renfe train and 147 on the Iryo train.
A passenger named Miguel, travelling with several colleagues in the rear car of one of the trains, described the moment of the accident to COPE radio.
“We heard a massive roar, a truly enormous thud that went on for 10 seconds, as if the train were about to derail. Through the right-hand window, we could see a wrecked train,” he said.
Though the regional government of Castilla-La Mancha initially reported 10 deaths, that number has since risen to 30.
Some Spanish media, citing emergency services, are reporting that as many as 46 people have died and more than 170 have been injured. Those figures haven’t been officially confirmed.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said he was deeply saddened by the crash, and that emergency services were on the ground helping those affected.
“Shocked by the serious train accident in Toledo,” he wrote on X. “I remain in constant contact with the Minister of Transport, @oscar_puente_, and with the president of Castilla-La Mancha, @garciapage.
“Emergency services are working on the ground to assist those affected and ensure their safety, in coordination with all the involved administrations. My affection, solidarity, and support to all the victims and their families.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation, though early reports speculate that a signaling failure, combined with human error by an infrastructure operator, may have played a role. This hasn’t been confirmed by investigators.
The crash comes just ten months after another deadly accident on the same line. In January, a high-speed Iryo train derailed near Adamuz in the province of Córdoba and was hit by an oncoming Renfe train. More than 40 people died in that tragedy.
Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this terrible tragedy and with the families waiting for news of their loved ones.
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