A Renfe high-speed train rear-ended a stationary Iryo train near Urda in Toledo province on October 28, killing at least 68 people and injuring dozens in Spain's second major rail disaster this year.
A high-speed Renfe train slammed into the rear of a stationary Iryo train near Urda in Toledo province on the morning of October 28, killing at least 68 people and injuring more than 80 others.
Regional authorities in Castilla-La Mancha reported the toll as 68 dead, with Health Minister Monica Garcia noting 15 of the injured were in critical condition. Roughly 147 passengers were aboard the Iryo service and 397 on the Renfe train when the collision occurred around 9 a.m. local time, derailing multiple carriages down an embankment.
The crash is Spain's second deadly high-speed collision this year on the Madrid-Andalusia line, following a January accident that killed 46. Transport Minister Oscar Puente said a signaling system failure had halted trains, after which control center staff issued what he called an inexplicable authorization for one train to proceed into the stopped train.
Reuters and BBC reporting, drawing on statements from regional officials, the transport minister, and rail operators, confirm the location near Urda, the operators involved, the passenger counts, and the rising death toll. The exact sequence of the signaling error remains under investigation, and full independent verification of every casualty figure is ongoing as recovery continues.
The disaster has prompted national mourning and suspension of election campaigning. Questions about rail safety and maintenance, already raised after the January crash, will intensify as investigators examine the control-center decision and the system's performance. The next official updates on the toll and the investigation are expected in the coming days.
People Sentiments Public Mood: Negative
- Sanchez: whole country is grieving
- Puente: inexplicable decision by control centre
- Garcia: 15 seriously injured