10 killed as high-speed trains collide in Toledo province

Central Spain’s high-speed rail network suffered a major disruption on Wednesday when two trains collided in the province of Toledo. The incident resulted in at least ten fatalities and temporarily suspended service between Madrid, Ciudad Real, and Andalusia.

Authorities confirmed the death toll early in the day, though officials expect the number to increase. Esther Padilla, the spokeswoman for the Castilla La Mancha region, stated that the initial count is verified but warned that the figure will likely rise as rescue efforts continue.

The crash involved a state-owned RENFE train and a private IRYO train, both traveling in the same direction from Madrid toward Seville. Padilla explained to state broadcaster TVE that one train struck the rear of the other while the second was stopped. The impact forced two cars from the struck train off the tracks. The specific cause of the collision remained undetermined at the time of reporting.

A total of 544 passengers were aboard the two trains at the time of the accident. The RENFE service carried 397 people, while the IRYO service held 147. Manuel Galán, the mayor of the nearby town of Urda, said that civil protection teams requested local facilities be prepared for injured passengers. The town hall arranged a sports pavilion to assist those affected.

This incident marks the second major rail disaster in Spain since January of this year. In that previous event, forty-five people died when a train derailed and struck an oncoming vehicle in the south. The January crash was the deadliest in the country since 2013. Regional president Emiliano García-Page traveled to the Toledo site to oversee the response.