High-Speed Train Collision in Central Spain Leaves At Least 10 Dead

At least 10 people died on Wednesday morning when a high-speed train collided with the rear of a stationary train in the province of Toledo, central Spain.

The crash involved a train operated by the state-owned RENFE and a private service run by IRYO. Both trains were traveling in the same direction from Madrid toward Seville. Authorities confirmed that 397 passengers were aboard the RENFE train and 147 were in the IRYO car.

Esther Padilla, a spokeswoman for the Castilla La Mancha region, stated that two carriages were derailed in the impact. She noted that the cause of the accident remained unknown and warned that the death toll was expected to increase. Rail operator ADIF suspended service on the line connecting Madrid, Ciudad Real, and Andalusia following the incident.

Local officials in the nearby town of Urda responded to the emergency. Mayor Manuel Galán said that civil protection teams requested his town hall prepare a local sports pavilion to treat injured passengers. Regional president Emiliano García-Page indicated on social media that he was en route to the site.

This collision marks the second major high-speed rail incident in Spain this year. In January, a train jumped the tracks and struck an oncoming service in southern Spain, killing 45 people. That earlier crash was the deadliest in the country since 2013.