At least 30 killed when high-speed train strikes stopped rail car in Spain

At least 30 people died on Wednesday when a high-speed train struck the rear of a stationary train in central Spain. The collision occurred in the province of Toledo, derailing two cars and scattering debris across a gravel slope near the towns of Urda and Los Yébenes.

Spanish authorities initially reported 10 deaths. Esther Padilla, a spokeswoman for the Castilla La Mancha region, told state broadcaster TVE that the death toll would surely rise. The state news agency EFE later confirmed the number had climbed to at least 30. The crash is the second major rail accident in Spain this year.

The incident involved two high-speed trains traveling in the same direction from Madrid to Seville. A RENFE train with 397 passengers reportedly hit the rear of an IRYO train that carried 147 passengers. The IRYO train had stopped on the track. Rail operator ADIF stated that the cause of the crash was not yet known.

The impact left one car shredded into metal fragments. Emergency workers focused on rescuing survivors from the two most damaged cars. Injured passengers were transported to various hospitals in the region. A military emergency brigade joined firefighters, police, and local services at the scene.

Spanish Health Minister Mónica García described the event as a high-speed impact and expected it to be a tragedy. She noted that emergency crews were working to extract bodies and survivors. The nearby town of Urda prepared a sports pavilion to treat injured passengers, according to Mayor Manuel Galán.

IRYO, an Italian-owned private rail company, stated that it had activated security protocols and was working closely with authorities. The company was involved in a previous fatal crash in January when a train jumped tracks and hit an oncoming service, killing 45 people.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez cancelled his schedule to focus on the accident. He wrote on X that he was dismayed by the serious train accident in Toledo and that his thoughts were with the victims and their families. Regional President Emiliano García-Page said he was traveling to the crash site.