BARCELONA, Oct 29: At least 68 people were killed on Wednesday after a high-speed train crashed into the rear of another train that had stopped in central Spain, derailing two carriages and leaving several others severely damaged, local media reported.
Spanish authorities initially reported 10 deaths, but the toll later rose to at least 64 before reaching 68, according to media reports. The cause of the crash remains unknown.
The collision occurred in Toledo province, between the towns of Urda and Los Yébenes, on a stretch of railway surrounded by fields. Spain’s rail operator ADIF suspended services between Madrid, Ciudad Real and Andalusia following the accident.
Esther Padilla, spokeswoman for the Castilla La Mancha regional government, told state broadcaster TVE that both trains were travelling from Madrid to Seville with hundreds of passengers aboard. One train struck the rear of the other, sending two carriages off the tracks. Images from the scene showed one carriage torn apart, with debris scattered down a gravel slope.
The crash involved trains operated by state owned RENFE and private company IRYO. The RENFE train appeared to have struck the IRYO train, Spanish media reported. RENFE carried 397 passengers, while IRYO had 147 aboard, Padilla said.
Health Minister Mónica García said emergency crews were concentrating on rescuing survivors and recovering bodies from the two worst damaged carriages. The injured were being taken to hospitals across the region.
“It was a high-speed impact, so we are expecting this to be a tragedy,” García told TVE.
A military emergency brigade joined firefighters, police and other rescue teams. Authorities also asked the nearby town of Urda to prepare a sports pavilion to accommodate injured passengers.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez cancelled his schedule to focus on the response. In a post on X, he expressed grief over the accident and extended his condolences to victims’ families. King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia also expressed sympathy for those killed and injured.
IRYO, an Italian owned rail company, said it had activated its safety protocols and was cooperating with authorities.
The crash is Spain’s second major train disaster this year. In January, 45 people died when a train derailed in southern Spain and struck an oncoming train. That accident was the country’s deadliest since a 2013 crash that killed 80 people.
Spain operates one of the world’s largest high speed rail networks, built through decades of investment. The country has around 3,900 kilometres of high speed tracks, second only to China, which has about 45,000 kilometres, according to the International Union of Railways.
Spain opened its rail network to private operators in recent years, allowing companies to compete with RENFE. IRYO began operating in the country in 2022. (Source: AP)
People’s News Monitoring Service
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