Spain train collision kills at least 30 near Toledo

Two high-speed trains operated by AVE and IRYO collided near Toledo on Wednesday, killing at least 30 people, Deutsche Welle reported, citing authorities and Spain’s EFE news agency.

The crash involved trains reported to be carrying 543 passengers in total, according to a Castilla-La Mancha local government spokeswoman cited by Deutsche Welle, and officials warned the toll could rise.

Adif, Spain’s rail infrastructure operator, said in a social-media post cited by Deutsche Welle that traffic on the Madrid-Andalusia high-speed rail line had been suspended after a rear-end collision between two trains.

The crash happened just after 9 a.m. local time near Urda, in the province of Toledo. Images from the scene showed at least two badly damaged carriages on their side after leaving the track and going down an embankment, Deutsche Welle reported.

One train was reported to have 397 passengers aboard and the other 146, according to the Castilla-La Mancha local government spokeswoman cited by Deutsche Welle. Authorities also reported a “significant number” of injuries, but no final casualty figure was available.

“All resources are currently being deployed,” a Spanish emergency services spokesperson told AFP, according to Deutsche Welle, including “several fire crews, three helicopters, and two mobile intensive care units.”

Manuel Galans, mayor of Urda, told EFE there had been a collision and that people were injured. Jesus Perez, mayor of nearby Los Yebenes, told Spanish television that the accident appeared “serious,” Deutsche Welle reported.

Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia told national broadcaster TVE that it was a “high impact accident, it will be a major tragedy,” while adding that it was too early to confirm a final number of casualties. “We don't just need help from nearby hospitals, we need nearby hospitals that have ICU beds,” she said.

Rescue and recovery operations were continuing, and the line suspension left Spain’s high-speed route between Madrid and Andalusia disrupted on Wednesday.