Urda, Toledo: The death toll from Wednesday's collision between two high-speed trains in central Spain has risen sharply as rescue crews worked through the wreckage near Urda, in Toledo province. Esther Padilla, spokeswoman for the Castilla-La Mancha regional government, told state broadcaster TVE that authorities could confirm 10 deaths and added that the number would surely rise; the Associated Press later reported that the toll was confirmed to be at least 30.

Source: Associated Press via Hillingdon Times

Sky News reported that local authorities put the toll at at least 39 dead, and El Espanol, citing Castilla-La Mancha emergency services, also reported at least 39 deaths with dozens more injured. Regional Civil Protection sources quoted by Cadena SER put the figure close to 46, a toll also reported by Xinhua — those higher figures had not been officially confirmed, and officials had not released a final toll for the injured.

Source: Sky News

The crash happened at about 08:54 local time on the Madrid-Andalusia high-speed line, between Urda and Los Yebenes, when a Renfe AVE service that had left Madrid Puerta de Atocha at 08:00 for Seville slammed into the rear of an Iryo train that had stopped, knocking two of its cars off the track, Adif and the regional government said. The two trains were carrying 544 passengers in total — 397 on the Renfe train and 147 on the Iryo train, Ms Padilla said.

Source: Associated Press via Hillingdon Times

Rescue under way at the scene

Health Minister Monica Garcia told TVE that emergency workers were focusing on rescuing survivors and recovering bodies from the two most damaged cars, and that the injured were being sent to hospitals in the area. 'It was a high-speed impact, so we are expecting this to be a tragedy,' she said. A military emergency brigade was deployed alongside firefighters, police and medical helicopters, and the mayor of Urda, Manuel Galan, said civil protection authorities had asked the town hall to prepare a sports pavilion to attend to passengers.

Source: Associated Press via Hillingdon Times

AP described the crash site as a flat stretch surrounded by fields between Urda and Los Yebenes, where one car was shredded into bits of metal and debris was scattered down a gravel slope. Iryo, the Italian-owned private operator, said it had activated its security protocols and was working closely with authorities. Rail services between Madrid, Ciudad Real and Andalusia remained suspended.

Source: Associated Press via Hillingdon Times

Cause still unknown

Ms Padilla said the cause of the crash was not known. El Espanol reported that trains on the stretch were operating under lineside signalling following a fault with the LZB train-control system; it has not been established whether that fault contributed to the crash, and investigators have announced no finding on cause.

Source: El Espanol via Nile1

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez cancelled his agenda to focus on the crash and wrote on X that he was dismayed by the serious train accident in Toledo, with all his thoughts with the victims and their families. Castilla-La Mancha's regional president, Emiliano Garcia-Page, wrote on X that he was on his way to the crash site. It is Spain's second major train accident this year: in January, 45 people died in southern Spain when a train jumped the track and hit an oncoming train, AP reported.

Source: Associated Press via Hillingdon Times