At Least 30 Dead in High-Speed Train Collision in Spain

The collision happened on the Madrid-Seville route near Urda, in central Spain. Authorities said a Renfe train struck the rear of an Iryo train that had stopped, sending two cars off the track. The cause was under investigation, and the death toll was expected to rise.

The trains were carrying hundreds of passengers. Castilla-La Mancha regional officials gave passenger counts of 397 aboard the Renfe train and 147 aboard the Iryo train. Emergency crews were working at the site, and injured passengers were being taken to hospitals in the area.

Civil protection officials asked Urda’s town hall to prepare a sports pavilion for passengers and injured people. A military emergency brigade was also sent to support firefighters, police and other responders. Iryo said it had activated its emergency procedures and was coordinating with authorities.

Train operations were halted between Madrid, Ciudad Real and Andalusia. Iryo canceled services from Madrid along the Southern Corridor and had not provided an estimate for when they would resume. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez canceled his agenda to focus on the response.

The crash came nine months after a separate train collision in southern Spain killed 45 people. That January accident involved trains from Renfe and Iryo and prompted debate over railway maintenance investment.