A Renfe train struck a stationary Iryo train near Urda, Spain, resulting in 69 deaths and 58 injuries. Authorities are investigating a safety system failure.
A high-speed train collision in central Spain has resulted in at least 69 deaths and 58 injuries, according to authorities. The accident occurred on the morning of Wednesday, October 28, near the village of Urda in the province of Toledo, approximately 130km south of Madrid.
The collision involved a service operated by the state-owned company Renfe and a stationary train belonging to the Spanish company Iryo. Both trains were traveling in the same direction on the Madrid–Seville railway line. Independent investigators stated that the Renfe train was moving at a speed between 100 and 125 mph when it struck the rear of the Iryo train, causing two cars to derail.
According to reports from Spanish authorities, an automatic safety system had failed, halting all trains on a 63km stretch of track. However, a control center authorized the Renfe service to resume its journey while the Iryo train remained stationary on the tracks.
A legal body composed of police and forensics experts, the Center for Integrated Data, reported that 66 of the 69 victims have been identified. The deceased include:
Three people remain missing: two Australians and one Japanese citizen. The statement from the identification body noted, "As the contacted families have expressed their wish to travel to Spain to carry out in-person identification, we are awaiting their arrival in the country."
This incident marks Spain's second high-speed rail collision this year. In January, a crash in the southern region of Andalusia near Adamuz killed 46 people.
Transport Minister Óscar Puente has attributed much of the incident to "poor judgment" by a traffic controller. Conversely, railway unions have cited "deteriorating working conditions," stating that too few controllers are managing increasing workloads.
The collision has renewed scrutiny of the safety procedures within Spain's high-speed rail network, which is the second-largest in the world after China's. The disaster occurs one month before the November 29 general election in Spain.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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