High‑speed trains collide on Madrid‑Seville line, killing at least 30

A collision between two high‑speed trains on the Madrid‑Seville line occurred early on Wednesday near the town of Urda in Toledo province, central Spain. According to the regional government of Castilla‑La Mancha, one train ran into the rear of another that had stopped, causing two carriages to derail and fall from an elevated section of track.

The crash involved an AVE service operated by the state railway company Renfe and a private‑operator train run by Iryo. Regional spokesperson Esther Padilla told TVE that the Renfe train, carrying 397 passengers, struck the Iryo train, which had 147 passengers on board. The impact knocked two Iryo carriages off the embankment, and footage broadcast by regional channel CMM TV showed twisted metal and wreckage scattered along the slope.

Local authorities reported that the death toll rose to at least 30, up from earlier counts of ten, while the number of injured remains unspecified. Health Minister Mónica García said emergency crews were focused on rescuing survivors and recovering bodies from the most damaged cars, and that the injured were being taken to hospitals in the surrounding area.

In response, Spain’s railway infrastructure manager ADIF suspended high‑speed services between Madrid and Andalusia, and the Civil Guard dispatched a specialist disaster investigation team. Madrid mayor José Luis Martínez‑Almeida announced that the capital was sending medical teams and firefighters to assist. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed shock and pledged coordination with transport officials, while opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo called for support for the victims and emergency responders.