Toledo Train Crash: Death Toll Rises to 64

The death toll from a high-speed train collision in central Spain rose to at least 64 on Wednesday morning. Authorities confirmed the figures as rescue crews worked through the wreckage in the province of Toledo. Regional President Emiliano García-Page stated that at least 80 other passengers were injured.

The accident involved a state-owned RENFE train and a private IRYO train. Both services were traveling in the same direction from Madrid to Seville. According to Esther Padilla, a spokesperson for the Castilla La Mancha region, the RENFE train struck the rear of the IRYO train, which had come to a stop. The impact knocked two cars off the tracks.

Padilla reported that 397 passengers were aboard the RENFE train and 147 were on the IRYO train. García-Page provided a preliminary breakdown of the fatalities, citing 24 deaths in the RENFE train and six in the IRYO train. The cause of the crash has not yet been determined. Rail service between Madrid, Ciudad Real, and Andalusia remains suspended.

The collision occurred in a flat area near the towns of Urda and Los Yébenes. Passenger Ignacio Relaño, who was riding on the RENFE train, described the sudden deceleration followed by the impact. He told state broadcaster TVE that luggage and cell phones flew through the air as the car leaned to one side. Health Minister Mónica García said emergency workers are focusing on the two most damaged cars. She described the high-speed impact as a tragedy.

This is the second major rail disaster in Spain this year. In January, an IRYO train jumped the track and collided with an oncoming RENFE train, killing 46 people. That incident was the deadliest in Spain since 2013. The recent crash has intensified scrutiny on the country's rail infrastructure. Joan Rodríguez, a spokesperson for the train workers' union, noted that increased traffic from private operators has placed additional strain on the network. He told TVE that the liberalization of high-speed service was not matched by necessary upkeep.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez canceled his schedule to focus on the response. He posted on X that he was dismayed by the accident and that emergency services were attending to the passengers. The King and Queen of Spain also issued a statement expressing their sadness. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, said Europe mourns with the victims. A military emergency brigade was deployed to assist firefighters and police. Ambulances and medical helicopters transported the injured to local hospitals, while buses carried unharmed survivors away from the site.