At least 10 dead as two high-speed trains collide in central Spain
Two high-speed trains collided near Urda in Toledo province on Wednesday morning, and officials confirmed at least 10 deaths. Rail services between Madrid and Andalusia have been suspended.
- At least 10 people died when one high-speed train hit the back of another in Toledo province.
- Two carriages came off the track; many people were injured.
- Services between Madrid and Andalusia were suspended.
At least 10 people have died and many more are injured after two high-speed trains collided in Toledo province in central Spain on Wednesday morning. Euronews reported that the accident happened at 8:54 a.m. near the town of Urda.
Spain's state rail infrastructure authority, Adif, said services between Madrid and the southern region of Andalusia were suspended after what it called a rear-end collision between two trains. Euronews said traffic was halted in both directions. Gulf News reported that service was also suspended to Ciudad Real. Adif said the collision took place on the Madrid to Seville line.
According to state broadcaster TVE, both trains were heading in the same direction and one ran into the back of the other, knocking two carriages off the track. Euronews reported that the two carriages derailed and went down an embankment. Footage from regional broadcaster Castilla-La Mancha Television showed a derailed train with at least one carriage still on an elevated section of track, and wreckage spread across the embankment below.
Esther Padilla, a spokesperson for the Castilla-La Mancha regional government, said authorities could confirm 10 deaths. She told local media the information being received was not good and that the number might rise. Government sources told El País the crash could be worse than the Adamuz rail disaster in January.
The mayor of Urda, Manuel Galán, said emergency services asked him to prepare a sports hall to accommodate the injured. The mayor of nearby Los Yebenes, Jesús Perez, told TVE the accident appeared to be serious. The regional president, Emiliano García-Page, said on X that he was on his way to the site.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said on X that he was in constant contact with the transport minister and the regional president, and that emergency services were helping those affected. He expressed support for the victims and their families. Opposition People's Party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo also posted on X, calling for priority to go to the victims and their families.
Spain's main political parties, which are preparing for next month's general election, suspended their planned activities for the day. Reports differ on the toll of the Adamuz crash in January, giving 45 or 46 dead; Gulf News said it shook confidence in Spain's high-speed rail network.
Why it matters
Rail safety is a live concern in Pakistan, so readers following Pakistan Railways accidents may look at how another country's high-speed network is dealing with a major crash.
