Two high-speed trains collided near Urda in Toledo province, central Spain, on Wednesday morning, killing at least 10 people, according to local authorities. Officials warned that the toll could rise, and the Spain train crash has halted rail traffic on a major route.
A Castilla-La Mancha government spokeswoman said there were at least 10 dead and that the number could increase, according to DW. Rail operator Adif said traffic on the Madrid-Andalusia high-speed line was suspended after a rear-end collision between two trains, DW reported.
Euronews reported that two carriages derailed and plunged down an embankment, and that rail traffic between Madrid and Andalusia was halted in both directions. DW reported that images from the scene showed at least two severely damaged carriages flipped on their sides after tumbling down the embankment.
According to the regional government spokeswoman, cited by DW, one train, operated by AVE, was reportedly carrying 397 passengers. The other, operated by IRYO, had 146 people on board. These passenger counts have not been independently confirmed.
Health Minister Monica Garcia called the accident a "high impact accident" and a "major tragedy," but said it was too soon to confirm a final casualty figure, DW reported.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he was "shocked" by the "serious" accident and expressed support for the victims and their families.
The sources differ on the time of the crash. Euronews reported that the accident occurred at 8:54 a.m. near Urda. DW reported that it took place just after 9 a.m. local time, also near Urda.
DW also reported that in January, 45 people died in Spain when a train jumped the track and hit an oncoming train. That made this the second major train crash in Spain this year, according to DW.
Officials are still determining the cause of the collision, according to Japan Times. The number of injured people has not been confirmed in the sources, and the final casualty figure is pending. Traffic on the Madrid-Andalusia line remains suspended.
The main gaps are that Euronews and Japan Times were available only as headlines and short excerpts, so their details rest on limited text. No response from AVE or IRYO appears in the sources, and no second independent source confirms the rear-end collision detail beyond Adif’s statement as reported by DW.
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This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.