At least 10 people are killed after two high-speed trains collide near Urda in Spain’s second deadly rail crash this year

At least 10 people were killed Wednesday when two high-speed trains collided near Urda in Toledo province, south of Madrid.

The collision is Spain’s second deadly high-speed train crash this year, and officials fear the death toll may rise. Health Minister Mónica García told a television news station that the full count was not yet known. “We don’t have a figure, but it’s going to be a major tragedy,” she said, according to El País. Esther Padilla, spokesperson for the regional government of Castilla-La Mancha, confirmed the initial fatalities to Spanish broadcasters and indicated the number would climb.

Rear-end collision on the Madrid–Seville line

The crash occurred shortly before 9:15 a.m. local time on a railway line connecting Madrid with the southern city of Seville. According to reporting by Source 1, an AVE high-speed train operated by Spain’s state railway company Renfe, travelling from Madrid to Seville with 397 passengers, struck the rear of a stationary Iryo train carrying 147 passengers. The trains had been travelling in the same direction when the AVE service hit the Iryo train, which had stopped on the track. Two carriages of the Iryo train fell down an embankment. El País reported that more than 500 passengers were on board the two trains combined.

Emergency response

Firefighters from surrounding towns were deployed alongside three medical helicopters and two mobile intensive care units, according to Spanish newspaper El Mundo. An Advanced Medical Post was set up at the site of the crash to triage the injured, provide medical care, and transfer those requiring further treatment to hospitals. Madrid’s mayor, Jose Luis Martínez-Almeida, said on X that the capital was sending emergency medical teams and firefighters to assist with rescue efforts. The Civil Guard sent a specialist disaster investigation team to the site, El País reported. Urda’s sports hall was opened to assist those affected, after civil protection authorities asked the town to prepare the facility.

Rail disruption and investigation

Railway infrastructure manager ADIF interrupted high-speed traffic on the Madrid to Andalusia line. ADIF is investigating the sequence of events surrounding the accident, per Spanish news agency EFE. The cause of the collision is currently unknown.

Official reactions

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said on X that he was shocked by the incident and remained in contact with Transport Minister Oscar Puente and Castilla-La Mancha regional president Emiliano Garcia-Page as emergency crews worked at the scene. Padilla confirmed the death toll to Spanish broadcasters. Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said on X that Italy’s consulate in Madrid was checking whether any Italian nationals were among those affected and was ready to provide assistance.

Second deadly high-speed crash this year

The disaster comes roughly nine months after a train derailed and struck an oncoming service near the town of Adamuz in southern Spain, killing 45 people. That crash was Spain’s deadliest railway accident since 2013, when 80 people were killed. El País reported that sources said Wednesday’s collision could have a worse outcome than the Adamuz crash, though the final toll remains uncertain.