Regional authorities confirm at least 68 dead after a Renfe train rear-ended a stationary Iryo service near Urda, with the transport minister citing an inexplicable control-centre decision after a signalling failure.
Two high-speed trains collided near Urda in Spain’s Toledo province on Wednesday morning, killing at least 68 people and injuring dozens more.
A Renfe AVE service travelling from Madrid to Seville rear-ended a stationary Iryo train after a computer failure halted traffic on a 63-kilometre stretch; the control centre then authorised movement without speed restrictions, according to Transport Minister Óscar Puente.
The crash is Spain’s second major high-speed rail disaster this year, following the January Adamuz collision that killed 46. Regional president Emiliano García-Page confirmed the updated death toll of 68, with 77 people in hospital and 15 seriously injured.
García-Page’s statement and statements from the transport ministry and rail operators confirm the toll and the sequence involving a signalling failure followed by an authorisation to proceed. Multiple major outlets including BBC and Reuters independently report the same figures and the minister’s account of the control-centre decision.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez declared three days of mourning and said the government would investigate any negligence. The accident has suspended services on the Madrid-Andalusia line and prompted most parties to pause campaigning ahead of the 29 November general election. An official inquiry will determine whether protocol was breached and what changes are needed to restore confidence in the high-speed network.
People Sentiments Public Mood: Negative
- Pedro Sánchez: whole of Spain is grieving
- Óscar Puente: inexplicable decision by control centre
- Emiliano García-Page: death toll 68