Renfe Train Hits Stopped Iryo Service Near Toledo, Killing 69

At least 69 people died and 110 others were injured when a Renfe high-speed train struck a stationary Iryo train near Urda in Toledo province on Wednesday. The collision occurred on the high-speed line connecting Madrid and Seville. Of the dead, 24 were on the Renfe service and 44 were on the Iryo service. More than 500 emergency personnel, including three helicopters and several drones, responded to the scene.

Transportation Minister Oscar Puente stated that a failure in the LZB train management safety system caused all trains in a 63-kilometer stretch to stop automatically. The state railway company ADIF took manual control of the system. A train controller issued an erroneous order allowing the southbound Renfe train to proceed despite a red signal. The train traveled at approximately 124 miles per hour between 8:36 a.m. and 8:52 a.m. local time before impact.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez visited the crash site on Wednesday. He declared that Spain is in mourning and promised a full investigation. Sanchez stated that if negligence is found, it will be revealed and safety failures will be addressed with firmness. The crash marks the third deadly rail incident in Spain this year, following a January collision in Cordoba province that killed more than 40 people and a recent derailment near Barcelona that killed one driver.

Passengers described chaotic scenes inside the carriages. Patricia, a Renfe passenger, said her train stopped for 20 minutes before departing. She reported that the crash happened within three minutes of departure and that people were thrown into the air. Yoander, 25, woke up during the impact and hit his face and leg. Another survivor said three cars were in terrible shape, with one on fire and another containing trapped passengers.

The Spanish trade union CSIF called for Puente to resign following his press conference comments. The union demanded that the government respect the investigation and the presumption of innocence for the ADIF head of traffic. The US State Department confirmed that several Americans were injured in the collision. Evacuated passengers included citizens from Spain, Brazil, and other countries.

The regional government of Castilla and La Mancha released 60 of the 110 hospitalized injured as of Thursday morning. The Spanish Civil Guard opened four offices in different cities to help identify victims. The regional government urged citizens to donate blood at sites in Alcazar de San Juan, Ciudad Real, and Toledo. Red Cross workers treated the injured at the sports center in Urda, located roughly five miles from the crash site.

Service on the Madrid to Seville rail line remains suspended. Rescue crews continued searching for trapped individuals in the wreckage under floodlights on Wednesday evening. Several Renfe carriages were tilted on their sides after leaving the rails. Emergency responders moved uninjured passengers away from the site by bus. Some passengers displayed minor injuries, including cuts and bloody noses.

Spain's train drivers' union Semaf proceeded with a nationwide strike on Thursday. The strike aims to demand stronger safety measures. Prior to this year, Eurostat data showed Spain had the best rail safety record in the European Union in 2023, with fewer than one railway death per million inhabitants. The January crash in Cordoba involved a track break, while the Barcelona incident was caused by heavy rainfall.