Spain high-speed train collision kills at least 30 near Toledo

At least 30 people died when one high-speed train struck the rear of another on the Madrid-Seville line near Urda in Toledo province on the morning of October 28. The impact derailed two carriages of the Iryo train, sending them down an embankment, while emergency crews worked to extract survivors and recover bodies from the most damaged cars. Regional government spokeswoman Esther Padilla confirmed 397 passengers aboard the Renfe AVE train and 147 on the Iryo service, both traveling in the same direction. Spanish Health Minister Mónica García described the collision as a high-speed impact and said rescuers expected significant casualties. Railway operator Adif suspended all high-speed services between Madrid and Andalusia while its teams began examining the sequence of events. Initial local reporting pointed to a signaling failure that required manual intervention, though no official cause has been established. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed shock and coordinated with Transport Minister Óscar Puente and regional president Emiliano García-Page. Madrid’s mayor dispatched additional medical teams and firefighters. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and French President Emmanuel Macron both conveyed condolences. The crash follows a January derailment in southern Spain that killed 45 people and remains the deadliest rail incident since the 2013 Santiago de Compostela accident that claimed 80 lives. Authorities opened a sports hall in Urda for affected passengers and set up an advanced medical post at the site. The exact number of injured remains unknown.