At Least 30 Dead After Two High-Speed Trains Collide in Central Spain

At least 30 people died on Wednesday when two high-speed trains collided in central Spain, according to officials in the Castilla-La Mancha region. The death toll was confirmed to NBC News by the regional press office. This incident marks the second fatal train accident in the country within the past year.

The collision occurred shortly after 9:00 a.m. local time in the province of Toledo. ADIF, the state body responsible for managing Spain's railway infrastructure, issued a statement on the social media platform X regarding the timing and location of the crash.

Esther Padilla, the spokesperson for the Castilla-La Mancha regional government, told the public broadcaster TVE that both trains were traveling in the same direction from Madrid toward Sevilla. She explained that one train struck the rear of the other, which had been stopped on the tracks. The impact caused two carriages of the stationary train to derail. Authorities have not yet determined the cause of the accident.

Riders on the two trains faced different circumstances. The state-owned operator Renfe reported that approximately 397 passengers were aboard its train. The private Italian-owned operator Iryo reported that its train carried 147 passengers. A passenger named Miguel, who was riding in the rear carriage of one of the trains, described the moment of impact to the Spanish radio station COPE. He said, "We heard a huge bang, a truly tremendous blow that lasted about 10 seconds, as if the train were going to derail. Through the window on the right, we could see a destroyed train; I imagine it must have been the other one."

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed that he was "deeply distressed" by the accident. In a post on X, he stated that emergency services were working at the scene to care for the affected and ensure their safety in coordination with relevant authorities. He added, "My deepest condolences, solidarity and support to all the victims and their families." Iryo also issued a statement on Wednesday saying it had "activated its safety protocols and is working closely with authorities."

Local officials are coordinating immediate relief efforts. Manuel Galán, the mayor of Urda, a small municipality near Toledo, told TVE that emergency services asked him to prepare a local sports center to house the injured. Renfe announced on X that it has established an emergency phone line to assist the families of the victims.

This crash occurred ten months after a similar incident on the same Madrid to Sevilla line. In January, a high-speed train derailed and collided with an oncoming train operated by the same two companies, killing 45 people. That January accident was the deadliest in Spain since a 2013 disaster that claimed 80 lives. According to the European Union, Spain currently possesses the most extensive high-speed rail network in Europe, with more than 1,900 miles of track designed for speeds exceeding 155 miles per hour.