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Toledo rail collision: 68 confirmed dead as Spain mourns for three days
The death toll from a high-speed train collision near the town of Urda in Toledo province, central Spain, has risen to at least 68, while Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez declared three days of official national mourning.
Hilal Times Editorial DeskUpdated:
The death toll from a collision between two high-speed passenger trains on the Madrid-Seville line, between the towns of Urda and Los Yébenes in Toledo province, central Spain, has risen to at least 68, according to Emiliano García-Page, president of the Castilla-La Mancha regional government. Authorities stated that 24 of the deceased were on board the Renfe AVE train, and 44 were on board the Iryo train, which was stopped on the tracks, while 50 people were injured.
Searching for Victims Under the Wreckage
García-Page did not rule out finding more bodies as the carriages are moved, as cranes are being used to lift the wreckage in search of new victims, with the participation of the Military Emergency Unit.
Official Mourning Across Spain
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said after visiting the field command center in Urda: “Today Spain is in mourning. All of Spain is in mourning.” Official mourning was declared in the country for October 29, 30, and 31, with flags lowered to half-mast on public buildings, diplomatic missions abroad, and navy ships.
Sánchez added that “it is unacceptable for a country like Spain to witness two high-speed train accidents in one year,” pledging to uncover any negligence and respond “with full firmness” to any malfunction in safety systems.
Control System Failure
Transport Minister Óscar Puente said that the control system in Urda failed, and six trains on the line stopped, attributing the collision to human error following a computer system malfunction. The independent Railway Accident Investigation Commission and judicial authorities are investigating, along with the companies Adif and Renfe.
The accident occurred at 8:54 a.m. local time between the towns of Urda and Los Yébenes. The trains involved were Renfe’s AVE service 2080, carrying 393 passengers, and private operator Iryo’s service 6076, carrying 147 passengers, including an infant. Initial information indicates that one of the trains, traveling in the same direction as the other, struck the rear of the stationary train, causing two carriages to derail. At least 50 people suffered serious injuries.
How did the accident happen?
El País reported that initial findings point to a technical failure in the line’s signaling system, which brought the trains to a halt. After the safety system was switched to manual control, an employee at the control center in Madrid is believed to have mistakenly authorized one of the trains to proceed despite another train being stopped on the track.
Adif, the railway infrastructure operator, said the cause of the accident had not yet been determined. The Orgaz court is investigating, while the LZB automatic train control system is being examined.
Carriages piled on top of one another
Images from the accident site showed a metal rail torn loose by the force of the collision and driven through one of the carriages. Aerial footage showed derailed carriages piled on top of one another.
Rescue operations
Dozens of ambulances, firefighting units and rescue teams rushed to the scene. Red Cross crews treated the injured at a sports hall in Urda. Emiliano García-Page, president of the Castilla-La Mancha region, warned that the death toll could rise, saying rescue teams had not yet reached the deepest parts of the wrecked carriages.
All the injured were evacuated from the scene. The Civil Guard opened offices in Madrid, Seville, Córdoba and Toledo to receive passengers’ relatives, while high-speed services between Madrid, Ciudad Real and Andalusia were suspended.
Mourning in Spain
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez canceled a public event to monitor developments and briefed King Felipe VI by telephone. The king described the incident as a “horrific accident,” offered his condolences and canceled his schedule for Wednesday and Thursday. Transport Minister Óscar Puente said he was at the control center “to try to obtain all the information possible about what happened.”
The Spanish Congress of Deputies canceled all activities scheduled for Wednesday. The mayor of Seville declared three days of official mourning, while the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces called for a minute of silence outside town halls across the country at 8 p.m.
Ten months after the Adamuz disaster
The accident occurred about ten months after trains operated by the same two companies collided near Adamuz in Córdoba province last January, killing 45 people. It was Spain’s deadliest such accident since the 2013 disaster in Santiago de Compostela, which claimed 80 lives.
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