At least 30 killed in Spain high-speed train crash

At least 30 people have been killed after two high-speed trains collided near Toledo in central Spain, triggering a major emergency response and suspending rail services between Madrid and the southern Andalusia region.

The collision occurred shortly after 9am local time on Wednesday on the Madrid-Seville railway line, according to rail operator Adif. The crash site was located between the towns of Mora and Orgaz, near Urda in the province of Toledo.

The regional government of Castilla-La Mancha confirmed the death toll had reached at least 30, warning that the full scale of the casualties was still being assessed. The cause of the collision has not yet been established.

According to regional government spokesperson Esther Padilla, the accident involved a high-speed train operated by Spain’s state-owned Renfe and another operated by private rail company Iryo. Several carriages derailed, with some reportedly plunging down an embankment.

Hundreds of passengers were travelling on the two trains. Padilla said 397 people were aboard the Renfe service, while 147 passengers, including a baby, were travelling on the Iryo train.

Emergency services deployed firefighters, medical teams, ambulances and helicopters to the crash site. Hospitals in Toledo, Alcázar de San Juan and Ciudad Real were placed on alert to receive injured passengers.

Survivors described scenes of devastation following the impact. One passenger travelling on the Iryo train said the collision threw her forward and injured people inside her carriage. She initially believed the train had made an emergency stop but realised the severity of the incident after seeing injured passengers and being instructed to evacuate.

After climbing down an embankment to reach safety, she saw damaged carriages, a fire and dead bodies, according to her account to Spanish media.

The mayor of Los Yébenes, a town near the crash site, described the situation as horrific, citing reports of severe injuries. Local authorities were also asked to prepare facilities to accommodate casualties.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said he was shocked by the accident and was in contact with the relevant authorities. He expressed solidarity with the victims and their families.

Health Minister Mónica García described the incident as a major tragedy, saying authorities were monitoring the situation and assessing the number of people requiring intensive medical care.

The crash has also raised concerns because Spain experienced another deadly high-speed rail accident earlier this year. That collision, involving trains operated by the same companies on the same line, killed 46 people, according to the report.

Rail services on the Madrid-Andalusia high-speed line remained suspended as emergency teams continued their work. Authorities have yet to release a definitive account of what caused the trains to collide.