69 dead after two high-speed trains collide in central Spain

Sixty-nine people died and more than 100 were injured when a moving high-speed train struck a stationary one near the town of Urda in Toledo province on Wednesday. The collision occurred on the line connecting Madrid and Seville. Transportation minister Óscar Puente stated that a failure in the LZB train management safety system caused a computer error. This led to automatic stops for all trains in the area.

ADIF, the state-owned company managing Spain's railways, assumed manual control of the system. A train controller issued an order allowing a southbound Renfe train to proceed despite a red light. Puente said the train resumed travel at approximately 124 miles per hour between 8:36 a.m. and 8:52 a.m. local time. The Renfe train hit the stationary Iryo train, which was operated by a private company.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited the scene and declared Spain to be in mourning. He noted that this is the third deadly rail incident in the country this year. A crash in Córdoba province in January killed more than 40 people, and a derailment near Barcelona later that month killed a driver. Sánchez said that any negligence or safety failures would be addressed with firmness.

Trade union CSIF called for Puente to resign following his comments. The union stated that it demanded the government respect the investigation and the presumption of innocence for the ADIF head of traffic. The union also announced that train drivers would proceed with a planned nationwide strike on Thursday to demand stronger safety measures.

Survivors described the moment of impact as chaotic. One passenger said three cars were in terrible shape, with one on fire and another containing trapped people. Another survivor, Yoander, 25, said he woke up hitting the seats in front of him. He noted he was in pain but that others needed more help. A woman named Patricia said her train had been stopped for about 20 minutes before the crash. She described people being hurled into the air.

Regional government officials reported that 24 of the victims were on the Renfe train and 44 were on the Iryo train. There were 393 passengers on the Renfe train and 151 on the Iryo train. Of the 110 people hospitalized, 60 had been released by Thursday morning. More than 500 emergency personnel, three helicopters, and several drones were deployed to the site.

The Spanish Civil Guard opened four offices in different cities to identify victims. The regional government requested blood donations in Alcázar de San Juan, Ciudad Real, and Toledo. Service on the Madrid to Andalusia rail line has been suspended. Rescue crews continued searching the wreckage under floodlights on Wednesday evening.

Prior to this year, Eurostat data showed Spain had fewer than one railway death per million inhabitants in 2023. This gave the country the best safety record in the European Union. The January crash near Adamuz involved a track break, while the Wednesday crash was attributed to system failure and human error.