At least 64 people were killed after two high-speed trains collided near Toledo in central Spain on Wednesday, sending several carriages off the tracks and triggering a massive rescue operation, authorities said.
The accident occurred near Urda, south of Madrid, on the high-speed railway line connecting the Spanish capital with the southern Andalusia region. The collision involved a train operated by state-owned Renfe and another belonging to private railway company Iryo.
Rescue workers searched through mangled carriages and scattered wreckage for additional victims as emergency personnel evacuated injured passengers. The collision forced the suspension of rail services along the busy Madrid-Andalusia corridor.
The disaster was the second major fatal accident on the route this year, following a collision in January that claimed 46 lives.
๐ง๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป ๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ
According to preliminary accounts, the Iryo train had stopped near Toledo following instructions from railway infrastructure manager Adif because of a signalling fault.
A Renfe train subsequently struck the stationary service at high speed, causing several carriages from both trains to derail.
Renfe said its train had been authorised to continue its journey before the collision occurred. However, the operator maintained that the circumstances surrounding the stationary Iryo train remained unclear.
The company said investigators would have to establish the precise sequence of events, traffic conditions and circumstances of the impact.
Railway infrastructure manager Adif confirmed that traffic on the Madrid-Andalusia high-speed line had been suspended following the rear-end collision.
๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐ ๐ฝ๐น๐๐ป๐ด๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐๐ป ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ป๐ธ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐
Images from the accident site showed severely damaged railway carriages, twisted metal and broken panels scattered along the tracks and down an embankment.
At least three carriages had plunged down the embankment, while other sections of the trains remained on an elevated stretch of railway.
Emergency workers, ambulances and helicopters were deployed to the site as authorities began searching the wreckage and assisting survivors.
Passengers were seen walking away from the accident site, some with visible injuries and bandages, while volunteers distributed drinking water and other assistance.
A passenger identified as Miguel, who was travelling in the rear carriage of one of the trains, told Spanish radio station COPE that he heard a tremendous impact lasting several seconds.
He said passengers could see the wreckage of another train through the windows immediately after the collision.
๐๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ
Regional authorities said the two trains were carrying more than 500 passengers combined.
According to figures provided by officials, 397 passengers were travelling aboard the Renfe service and another 147 were on the Iryo train.
The regional government of Castilla-La Mancha coordinated emergency assistance, while local authorities arranged facilities to accommodate passengers evacuated from the accident site.
The mayor of Urda, Manuel Galรกn, said civil protection officials had asked the municipality to prepare a sports pavilion to receive people affected by the collision.
Emergency teams continued examining damaged carriages as the full extent of the disaster became clearer.
๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ท๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ต ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ
Wednesday's collision came nine months after another serious high-speed railway accident near Adamuz in southern Spain killed 46 people.
That accident also involved trains operated by Renfe and Iryo, raising questions about railway safety on one of Spain's principal high-speed corridors.
Spain operates one of Europe's most extensive high-speed railway networks, connecting Madrid with major cities and regional centres.
The latest accident prompted renewed scrutiny of railway operations, signalling systems and safety procedures, although investigators had not established the cause of Wednesday's collision.
๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ผ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐น๐น๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐ป๐
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sรกnchez expressed shock over the disaster and conveyed solidarity with the victims and their families.
European leaders, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and French President Emmanuel Macron, also expressed condolences following the collision.
Authorities were examining the circumstances that led to the Renfe train striking the stationary Iryo service, including the signalling arrangements and instructions issued before the crash.
Rail services between Madrid and Andalusia remained suspended as emergency teams continued their work and investigators assessed the damaged railway infrastructure.
The death toll stood at 64 in the latest available reports, with authorities continuing rescue and recovery operations.