What we know about the deadly train collision near the Spanish city of Toledo

Regional authorities are reporting at least 30 deaths at this stage, but the toll from the accident will likely be much higher. In Spain, two high-speed trains collided on Wednesday, October 28, while traveling at high speed in the Toledo sector, approximately 150km south of Madrid. Emergency services have activated their territorial emergency plan, in order to coordinate the teams on site.

The collision occurred "at 8:54 a.m." between "two trains, one from [the private operator] Iryo and the other from [the national company] Renfe", near the Urda station, in the Castilla-La Mancha region, according to a spokesperson for the Spanish emergency services contacted by AFP. The public establishment Adif, in charge of the Spanish railway network, reported around 9:10 a.m. the interruption of traffic on the line between Madrid and Andalusia, in a message posted on social networks.

The incredible scale of the disaster quickly became apparent with the first images of the collision. One of the two trains derailed before ending its route in a nearby field, according to videos filmed at the scene, which France Télévisions was able to identify.

At least four cars overturned at the foot of an embankment, according to the Spanish Civil Guard, cited by Spanish media. Some were pulverized, which suggests the violence of the shock. The trains concerned are the AVE 2080 and the Iryo 6076 train, said the public operator Renfe.

At least 30 people died, regional authorities announced to AFP in a new report. Esther Padilla, the spokesperson for the regional authorities, had previously clarified that the Iryo train carried "146 passengers and a baby", while the Renfe train had 397 passengers, based on information provided by Adif, adds the Spanish channel TVE. At the end of the morning, the official declared on the Antena 3 channel that "all the injured had been removed from the cars" but "that the removal of the bodies continued."

Several fire brigades, three helicopters and two mobile intensive care units are already on site. Local emergency services have activated their intervention plan, Platecam, at operational level 2, which means that they are requesting external reinforcements given the scale of the situation. The government of Castile-La Mancha requested the intervention of the Military Emergency Unit, the Spanish press further specifies. The Iryo company says it "has activated all emergency protocols", in a message, specifying that the collision occurred between Madrid and Seville, at kilometer point 118, in the municipality of Urda.

This accident is already having political consequences, especially since the country has already suffered several rail disasters in recent years. This accident occurs in the middle of the electoral campaign before the legislative elections on November 29 and less than a year after the tragic accident in Adamuz, in Andalusia, which left 46 dead in a collision between two high-speed trains, shocking all of Spain.

“We are deeply touched and worried about the train accident that occurred in Urda,” reacted the royal palace on He said he was working in conjunction with the Minister of Transport and the president of the Castile-La Mancha region.

Emiliano García-Page, president of Castile-La Mancha, for his part announced that he would suspend his schedule and go to the scene of the accident, saying he was following the situation “with concern”. The leader of the Popular Party (PP, right), Alberto Núñez Feijóo, also said he was "very concerned" about this new train accident.