Renfe and Iryo Trains Crash in Toledo, Killing At Least 30
Two Madrid to Seville trains collided in central Spain Wednesday, leaving 30 dead and causing a major emergency response in Toledo province.
By Gabriela Ivanov ·
At least 30 people died when two high-speed trains collided in central Spain on Wednesday morning. The Castilla La Mancha regional press office confirmed the death toll to NBC News. The accident occurred just after 9 a.m. local time in Toledo province, according to ADIF, the state agency that manages the country's railway infrastructure.
Esther Padilla, a spokeswoman for the regional government, told state broadcaster TVE that both trains were traveling from Madrid to Seville in the same direction. One train struck the rear of the other, which had stopped on the line. The impact knocked two cars off the track. Padilla said the cause of the crash had not yet been determined. Approximately 397 passengers were aboard the state-owned Renfe train, while 147 passengers were on the Iryo train, a private operator owned by an Italian company.
Miguel, a passenger in the rear car of one of the trains, described the collision to COPE radio. He said he heard a massive roar followed by a thud that lasted for 10 seconds. Looking out the right-hand window, he saw a wrecked train and believed it was the other vehicle involved in the crash.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he was deeply saddened by the accident. He wrote on X that emergency services are working on-site to assist those affected and ensure their safety. He added that his sympathy goes out to the victims and their families. Manuel Galan, the mayor of Urda, a municipality near Toledo, told TVE that emergency services asked him to prepare a local sports hall to house the injured.
This is the second deadly rail crash in Spain this year. In January, a collision between the same two operators on the same Madrid to Seville line killed 45 people in southern Spain. That accident was the country's deadliest since a 2013 crash that claimed 80 lives. Spain operates the largest high-speed rail network in Europe for trains traveling faster than 155 mph, with more than 1,900 miles of track.
Renfe said it established an emergency phone line for families of victims. Iryo stated that it activated security protocols and is working closely with authorities to manage the response.
