At least 68 dead in train crash in Spain

At least 68 people have died after a high-speed train crashed into another train in Toledo province, Spain. The transport minister said an "inexplicable" decision by the rail control center was to blame for the accident after a computer failure.

The Castilla-La Mancha regional government confirmed the death toll on Wednesday. They also reported that 58 other people needed hospital treatment. Rescue workers are still searching the wreckage for survivors and victims from the crash involving two trains with over 500 passengers.

The crash happened in the morning between the towns of Urda and Los Yébenes, which is south of Madrid, according to ADIF, Spain’s rail infrastructure operator.

A train operated by state-owned Renfe hit the back of a stationary train run by private company Iryo. The crash knocked two carriages of the Iryo train off the tracks and caused significant damage to several carriages.

The Associated Press mentioned that the collision took place on a stretch of track surrounded by olive fields. Debris from the wreck was scattered down a gravel slope.

Spain’s Transport Minister, Óscar Puente, told AP that the crash happened after a computer failure affected a part of the railway. The control center then instructed the Renfe train to continue its journey without speed limits.

Mr. Puente explained that the railway’s safety system stopped working around 8:30 a.m. due to the computer failure. This forced trains on a 63-kilometer stretch to stop.

He said the control center later told the Renfe train to move again, even though a stop signal was still active on the line. The train crashed into the stationary Iryo train at about 8:53 a.m.

Mr. Puente stated that the Renfe train should not have been allowed to move while the stop signal was still on. If it had been allowed to go, it should have been told to travel at a slower speed.

He said investigators are still looking into the details to find out how fast the train was going when it crashed. He suggested it could have been traveling at 200 kilometers per hour on that part of the track.

"I am not attributing responsibility to anyone, I am just stating the facts," he added.

Mr. Puente mentioned that the train engineers were not responsible for the crash. Passengers described a terrible impact that sent bags and phones flying around the train carriages.

Ignacio Relaño was on the Renfe train. He told Spanish public broadcaster TVE that the train stopped for a moment before moving again and crashing into the Iryo train.

"We all felt the train abruptly slowing down and then the impact," he said. "The car leaned to one side like it was about to tip over. I hit my nose, everything went flying, luggage, cell phones. Everything shook."

Another passenger reported that she was thrown forward when the train braked suddenly, breaking the small table in front of her. She saw injured passengers and people trapped in the wreckage.

Spain’s Health Minister, Mónica García, said emergency workers are focusing on recovering survivors and bodies from the two most damaged carriages. The injured are being taken to hospitals nearby.

"It was a high-speed impact, so we are expecting this to be a tragedy," she said.

According to regional authorities, the two trains were carrying 544 passengers. The Renfe train had 397 passengers, while the Iryo train had 147.

Iryo, an Italian-owned railway, said it activated its safety protocols and is working closely with the authorities.

The crash led to the suspension of train services between Madrid, Ciudad Real, and Andalusia, according to the BBC.

Emergency services including firefighters and police were sent to the scene, while a military emergency team was called to help with rescue efforts. Ambulances and medical helicopters transported injured passengers, while those who escaped with minor injuries were taken away from the site by bus.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez canceled his planned activities to focus on the disaster. In a post on X, Mr. Sánchez said he was "dismayed by the serious train accident in Toledo" and offered condolences to the victims and their families.

Spain’s King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia also shared their sympathies with the families of those who died and showed support for the injured.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Europe shares in the sorrow of the victims’ families.

Spain’s football federation postponed all 24 Copa del Rey matches that were scheduled for Wednesday after the crash.

The disaster has raised new concerns about Spain’s high-speed rail network, which has been a point of national pride since it started in 1992.

Before this year, the country had not seen a fatal crash on its high-speed rail lines since the network opened.

In January, 46 people died in another crash involving trains from Iryo and Renfe in southern Spain. In that incident, an Iryo train derailed and hit an oncoming Renfe train, causing the first two carriages of the Renfe train to fall down a four-meter slope.