MADRID: At least 46 people have been killed after two high-speed trains collided near Urda in central Spain, according to reports citing regional civil protection sources, as emergency teams continue responding to one of the country’s deadliest railway disasters.
The collision occurred on Wednesday morning near Urda, in the province of Toledo, on the high-speed railway line linking Madrid with southern Spain.
Initial reports put the death toll at 10, but the figure subsequently rose sharply as authorities assessed the wreckage and the scale of the disaster. Officials warned that the full toll could change as rescue operations continued.
A Regional government spokesperson said fatalities were likely to increase.
Images shared by local media showed the wreckage of two trains strewn on the tracks and an embankment, with emergency services rushing to the scene.
The accident in the central region of Castilla-La Mancha comes one month before Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who faced heavy criticism for the first disaster, seeks to overturn unfavourable polls in an early general election.
The crash involved a train operated by state-owned Renfe and another run by private operator Iryo. Several carriages derailed, with images from the scene showing overturned train cars lying down a steep embankment.
Rescue Efforts
A spokesperson for the Spanish emergency services told AFP the trains collided just before 9:00 am (0800 GMT) in the municipality of Urda, around 130 kilometres (80 miles) south of Madrid.
“All resources are currently being deployed,” the emergency services spokesperson said, including “several fire crews, three helicopters, and two mobile intensive care units”.
Emergency services deployed firefighters, three helicopters and two mobile intensive care units to assist passengers and evacuate the injured.
More than 500 passengers were travelling on the two trains. The Iryo service was carrying 146 passengers and a baby, while the Renfe train had 397 passengers aboard, according to Padilla.
The Madrid-Andalusia high-speed railway line was suspended following the collision, with trains stopped at stations along the route.
Authorities were continuing to assess the scale of the disaster, while emergency teams worked among the damaged carriages. The cause of the collision had not been formally established.
PM Expresses Shock
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said he was “shocked by the serious train accident in Toledo” and was in constant contact with the transport minister.
He said emergency services were working at the scene to help those affected and ensure their safety, in coordination with the relevant authorities.
Sánchez and other Spanish politicians cancelled their public engagements for Wednesday, including campaign appearances ahead of next month’s parliamentary elections.
The collision has revived concerns about safety on Spain’s high-speed rail network, which suffered another deadly disaster in January when a derailment near Adamuz in southern Spain killed 46 people.
That accident involved an Iryo train and a state-run Renfe service, raising questions about railway safety and infrastructure. The circumstances of Wednesday’s collision near Urda are different, and investigators have yet to determine what caused the trains to collide.
The latest crash comes as emergency services continue rescue work and authorities seek to establish the full number of casualties.
