Spain: At least 50 people killed after two trains collided near Madrid
Two passenger trains operated by Renfe and Iryo collided Wednesday in the province of Toledo, in central Spain. Two cars fell down an embankment, and authorities launched a large-scale rescue operation. Rail service between Madrid and the southern part of the country remains suspended.
Rescue teams are searching for victims of a train collision between two trains in Spain
A serious train accident occurred Wednesday morning, Oct. 28, in central Spain and left at least 50 dead and more than 179 injured after two high-speed trains collided in the province of Toledo, about 62 miles south of Madrid. The figures were provided by Civil Protection, according to El Español.
According to a report by Antena 3 earlier, sources at the Railway Infrastructure Administrator (Adif) expressed concern that the death toll could rise. However, authorities have not yet released an official tally of the dead and injured.
The accident occurred at approximately 8:54 a.m. local time near the town of Urda, in the province of Toledo, which is part of the autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha, according to information from the regional emergency services reported by the EFE news agency.
Two railcars fell down an embankment
The collision involved an AVE high-speed train, operated by the state-owned company Renfe, and another train operated by the private company Iryo, both of which were traveling on the rail line between Madrid and Seville.
According to Adif, the public agency responsible for the Spanish railway infrastructure, the accident occurred at kilometer 118 of the line, near Urda.
Initial investigations point to a rear-end collision, that is, one train crashed into another from behind. According to a report by Cadena SER, one of the trains reportedly struck another that was stopped on the tracks, although the exact circumstances have yet to be determined.
Sources from the 112 emergency service, as cited by EFE, confirmed that the two train cars derailed.
Large-scale rescue operation and care for the injured
After receiving word of the accident, regional authorities deployed three medical helicopters, two intensive care units, firefighters and civil protection teams to assist the victims.
The mayor of Urda, Manuel Galán, confirmed to Spanish public television that there were injured people and explained that emergency services requested that a municipal facility be made available to treat those affected, according to AS.
The Government of Castilla-La Mancha activated its regional emergency plan to coordinate the rescue, medical and security resources deployed in the area.
Trains between Madrid and southern Spain have been suspended
The collision led to the suspension of high-speed rail service between Madrid and Andalusia, a region in southern Spain that includes cities such as Seville, Córdoba and Málaga.
Renfe announced that affected passengers will be able to change or cancel their tickets at no additional cost as long as service remains suspended.
Adif confirmed the suspension of rail service and explained that the incident is affecting one of the country's main high-speed rail lines.
At this time, authorities have not specified when traffic will resume, nor have they determined the causes of the accident.
Two fatal accidents in less than a year
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