At least 10 passengers have been confirmed dead and multiple have been injured after two high-speed trains collided in Spain, prompting the suspension of the line connecting Madrid to the southern Andalusia region, rail operator Adif said on Wednesday.
But the figure is feared to be far higher and regional emergency response coordinators are understood to be saying there are up to 39 deaths with claims it could rise above 45.
One well-placed government source admitted to Spanish press: ‘It could be worse than Adamuz.’ A rail crash in Adamuz in southern Spain left 46 dead earlier this year.
Around 400 people are believed to have been travelling in the two trains that crashed.
Most of the victims are believed to have been in the two Iryo carriages known to have plunged down an embankment.
One caught fire and smoke was still coming from the wrangled wreckage of what was left of the carriage as the first emergency responders reached the scene.
Although it was initially described as a head-on collision, it subsequently emerged the AVE high-speed train heading to Seville from Madrid could have hit the other train from behind.
‘Traffic on the Madrid-Andalusia high-speed rail line has been suspended following a rear-end collision between two trains,’ Adif said in a message posted on X.
At least 10 passengers have died and multiple have been injured after two high-speed trains collided in Spain
Smoke was still coming from the wrangled wreckage of what was left of the carriage as the first emergency responders reached the scene.
Rail operator Adif said the incident occurred between the towns of Mora and Orgaz
Rail operator Adif said the incident occurred between the towns of Mora and Orgaz, and involved a Renfe and an Iryo high speed train travelling from Madrid to Seville around 9am local time.
Manuel Galan, the mayor of Urda near the central city of Toledo, said he had been asked by emergency services to prepare a sports hall to accommodate the injured.
‘We have sent mobile ICUs and a logistics support vehicle from the Andalusian Health Service to support care for those affected,’ politician Antonio Sanz Cabello added.
Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sanchez offered his ‘affection, solidarity and support to all the victims’ of the train crash.
In a post on X, the leader said he was ‘shocked by the serious train accident in Toledo’.
‘I remain in constant contact with the minister of transport and with the president of Castilla-La Mancha,’ he said.
‘Emergency services are working on the ground to assist those affected and ensure their safety, in coordination with all the involved administrations.’
This is a breaking news story. More to follow.
