High-speed train crash in Spain kills at least 68

At least 68 people died and 58 others were hospitalized after a high-speed train in Spain collided with another service that had stopped on the tracks. The regional government for Castilla La Mancha confirmed the toll on Wednesday morning. Rescue crews are still searching the wreckage for survivors and bodies in the province of Toledo.

The crash occurred at 8:53 a.m. in a rural area between the villages of Urda and Los Yébenes. Two trains traveling from Madrid to Seville were involved. One service, operated by state-owned RENFE, struck the rear of a private IRYO train that was stationary. The impact knocked two IRYO cars off the track. A 63-kilometer stretch of the line lost its security system to a computer malfunction at 8:30 a.m., forcing trains to stop. Central command later ordered the RENFE train to resume moving without speed restrictions, despite an active stop signal.

Transport Minister Óscar Puente described the order to restart the train as inexplicable. He stated that the engineers were not to blame for the collision. The RENFE train may have been traveling at 200 kilometers per hour, or 124 miles per hour, at the time of the impact. Puente said officials are still reviewing data on the exact speed.

Passengers described a sudden jolt followed by objects flying through the car. Ignacio Relaño, a rider on the RENFE train, told state broadcaster TVE that the car leaned to one side and he hit his nose. He said luggage and cell phones went airborne during the shake. Another passenger on the IRYO train told Cadena Ser radio that she was thrown forward in her seat, breaking the small table in front of her. She reported seeing trapped people covered in blood.

David Gómez, a construction worker near the site, told El País that he and his colleagues cut through fences to reach the wreckage. They used first-aid kits until emergency services arrived. Gómez said he pulled a young woman from a window but noted a piece of a leg was visible. Rail service is suspended between Madrid, Ciudad Real, and Andalusia. A military emergency brigade assisted firefighters and police at the scene.

Spain has not had a fatal crash on its dedicated high-speed lines since the network opened in 1992. This incident follows a January crash in southern Spain that killed 46 people when an IRYO train jumped the track and hit an oncoming RENFE train. That January accident was the deadliest in Spain since 2013. Spain now has 3,900 kilometers of high-speed track, a network that has only recently opened to private competitors like IRYO, which began operating in 2022.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez canceled his agenda to focus on the crash. He posted on X that he was dismayed by the accident. King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia also issued a statement expressing their sadness. Spanish Health Minister Mónica García said emergency workers are focusing on the two most damaged cars. The soccer federation postponed all 24 Copa del Rey games scheduled for Wednesday.