Spain Rail Crash: Official Toll Stands at 30 as Investigators Probe Cause

The confirmed death toll from Wednesday's collision of two high-speed trains in Spain's Toledo province stands at at least 30, according to the Castilla-La Mancha regional government. The figure rose from 10 earlier in the day, and officials have warned it could climb further. The cause has not been determined.

Some reports have circulated higher numbers. A social media post quoted by Travel Tomorrow said Spanish media put the toll as high as 46, but the official count reported by the Express Tribune and Travel Tomorrow is 30.

What investigators and officials have said so far

The crash happened on the Madrid-Andalusia line near Urda on the morning of Oct. 28, at about 9 a.m. local time, according to Travel Tomorrow. Spain's rail infrastructure operator ADIF said it occurred in Toledo province. It involved a Renfe AVE train and an Iryo train.

Esther Padilla, spokesperson for the Castilla-La Mancha region, said the cause remains unknown. Travel Tomorrow reported she added that one of the trains may have stopped before the accident. Travel Tomorrow also reported that the Renfe AVE, traveling from Madrid to Seville, ran into the Iryo train ahead of it, and that an investigation has begun. These details are still unconfirmed.

Reports differ on the damage. Travel Tomorrow cited the news agency EFE as saying at least three carriages derailed, some of which fell off the embankment. A social media post quoted in the same article spoke of two carriages. Footage from regional broadcaster Castilla-La Mancha Television, described by the Express Tribune, showed a derailed train with at least one carriage still on an elevated section of track and wreckage strewn across the embankment below.

Who was on board

According to Padilla, as reported by The Economic Times, the Renfe train carried 397 passengers and the Iryo train 147. Travel Tomorrow put the Iryo figure at 146 passengers plus one baby, for 544 people across both trains. Rescue and recovery work was continuing at the site.

The Guardia Civil said it had deployed units from Toledo, Ciudad Real and Albacete, along with aerial, drone, mountain and canine teams. It also sent mobile citizen-assistance offices. It said one injured person was airlifted to Madrid's 12 de Octubre hospital. Madrid's blood bank issued an urgent appeal for donations of all blood groups, Travel Tomorrow reported.

Reactions

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez wrote on X that he was shocked by the accident. He said he was in constant contact with Transport Minister Óscar Puente and with Castilla-La Mancha President Emiliano García-Page. He offered support to the victims and their families. García-Page said he was heading to the site and that his government was suspending its agenda.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she was devastated by the news and that Europe mourned with the families. Local authorities described the crash as a “major tragedy,” according to Travel Tomorrow.

Why it matters: travel disruption and a second crash on the same line

Train services between Madrid, Ciudad Real and Andalusia have been suspended. Travel Tomorrow reported that there is no indication of how long the halt will last. Travelers who might be affected can call the regional emergency hotline at 900 122 112. Renfe has a line at 900 10 10 20, and Iryo's is 900 001 403.

The collision comes nine months after another deadly accident on the same line involving trains of the same operators, according to the Express Tribune. In that January crash near Adamuz, in Cordoba province, a train derailed and hit an oncoming train. It killed 46 people and injured 152, Travel Tomorrow reported. The Express Tribune said that crash set off a debate over how much has been invested in railway maintenance in recent years.

Travel Tomorrow noted that Spain has the largest high-speed rail network in Europe and carried 25 million passengers in 2024.

What happens next

Rescue operations are still under way, and casualty figures may change. Investigators have yet to establish how the trains came to collide. The Interior Ministry's civil protection service said it is following the emergency in constant contact with regional teams.

Earlier on Around Prague: High-speed trains collide near Toledo, Spain: at least 50 dead

Around Prague, based on reporting by The Economic Times, The Express Tribune, Travel Tomorrow