URDA, Spain (AP) — Two high-speed trains collided in Toledo on Wednesday morning, resulting in at least 68 fatalities and 58 injuries.
Authorities confirmed the incident occurred around 8:53 a.m. when a RENFE train struck the rear of a stopped IRYO train on a rural stretch between Urda and Los Yébenes. The collision displaced two carriages off the tracks and left wreckage scattered across the site.
Emergency services, including a military brigade, have been deployed to assist in rescue operations. Medical helicopters transported injured passengers to nearby hospitals, while uninjured survivors were evacuated by bus. Rail services between Madrid, Ciudad Real, and Andalusia were halted due to the accident.
Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente attributed the crash to an “inexplicable” directive from a central command, which allowed the RENFE train to proceed despite an active stop signal. The security system on the line had malfunctioned earlier that morning.
Witnesses described a chaotic scene inside the train, with passengers thrown forward during the high-speed impact. “Everything went flying,” reported one survivor, detailing injuries and distress among passengers.
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed condolences via social media, stating, “Emergency services are working on site to attend to the affected passengers.”
The crash echoes a prior incident in January, which took 46 lives, raising concerns about rail safety as Spain's high-speed network continues to expand.
An investigation into the incident is ongoing, with authorities evaluating the circumstances surrounding the command decision that led to the tragedy.