68 killed after two high-speed trains collide in Spain, human error suspected

Two high-speed trains collided near Spain's Toledo, killing 68 people and injuring 179 others. Early reports suggest the accident may have occurred after a signalling-system failure forced staff to manage train movements manually. Authorities are probing the cause of the accident.

In Short

• High-speed train hit stationary train, derailing 2 rear-end carriages near Toledo
• 545 passengers were aboard 2 trains at time of accident, rescue ops underway
• Authorities probing cause of accident, services on Madrid-Andalusia line suspended

At least 68 people were killed and 179 injured after two high-speed trains collided in Spain's Toledo province on Wednesday, the Castilla-La Mancha regional government said. According to Spanish government sources, human error is believed to have caused the accident, although authorities were investigating the circumstances leading to the crash.

The collision took place around 9 am (local time) in Urda on the high-speed line connecting Madrid and Andalusia. A Renfe train, carrying 397 passengers, rammed into a stationary Iryo train with 147 passengers and a baby on board. The impact derailed two carriages of the Iryo train, which plunged down an embankment, according to Spanish public broadcaster RTVE.

The death toll is expected to increase as rescue teams continued to search through the wreckage of the derailed carriages. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has announced three days of mourning following the twin train crash.

Early reports suggest that human error may have played a role in the crash. Spanish newspaper El Pais, citing central government sources, reported that a possible mistake by an operator at the rail infrastructure manager Adif's control centre in Madrid's Atocha station was being examined.

According to the El Pais report, the primary LZB signalling and safety system had malfunctioned, forcing railway staff to manage train movements under an alternative arrangement. The disruption brought around eight trains in the area to a halt on Wednesday morning.

When services were allowed to resume, the Iryo train remained stationary on the tracks. An Adif operator is suspected of having mistakenly authorised the Renfe train behind it to proceed, resulting in the rear-end collision.

The precise sequence of events, including why the Iryo train was unable to move and how the Renfe train was cleared to continue, remains under investigation. Adif has said it is examining its systems and reconstructing the events leading up to the crash.

Spanish Transport Minister Oscar Puente said a computer communications failure had automatically halted rail traffic. "An erroneous decision was then made to restart the Renfe high-speed train, despite there being a red signal, breaking protocol. It continued its journey until it collided with the stationary train ahead," he said.

Esther Padilla, spokesperson for the Castilla-La Mancha regional government, said 147 people, including a baby, were travelling aboard the Iryo train, while 397 passengers were on the Renfe service. Hospitals in Toledo, Alcazar de San Juan and Ciudad Real had been activated to treat the injured.

This was Spain's second deadly rail accident this year and Europe's deadliest since 2013. The accident is the deadliest in Europe since a 2013 crash in Spain's Santiago de Compostela left 80 people dead.

The collision triggered a massive rescue operation, with firefighters, Civil Guard personnel, medical teams and emergency helicopters deployed at the site. Regional authorities said all injured passengers had been evacuated from the trains, while rescue teams were working to recover the bodies.

Rail traffic on the Madrid-Andalusia high-speed corridor was suspended following the crash, disrupting more than 100 services, El Pais reported. Adif said the suspension followed a rear-end collision between the two trains.

Images circulating on social media showed damaged carriages lying on their sides in a ditch, with wreckage scattered around the site.

Footage broadcast by Castilla-La Mancha Television also showed at least one carriage stranded on an elevated section of track, with twisted metal and broken panels strewn across the embankment below.

In statements, Renfe and Iryo said they had activated emergency and victim-assistance protocols. Renfe said its priority was to support those affected and their families, while Iryo said it was working with the authorities to manage the situation.

Emergency services rushed to the scene, while Manuel Galan, mayor of nearby Urda, told Spanish radio network Cadena SER that authorities had asked the local council to prepare emergency facilities, including a sports hall, to accommodate passengers and the injured.

PM Sanchez expressed shock over the accident, saying he was in contact with the transport minister and the regional government to monitor the situation. He extended his "affection, solidarity, and support" to the victims and their families.

Sanchez cancelled his scheduled engagements for Wednesday, while the opposition People's Party called off all its campaign events following the accident, a spokesperson said.

The collision came just nine months after another deadly high-speed train accident on the same railway line. In January, 46 people were killed near Adamuz in Cordoba province after an Iryo train derailed and collided with an oncoming Renfe train. The disaster triggered a debate over investment in railway infrastructure and maintenance in recent years.

It also came a month after Sanchez called a snap election on November 29 after two decrees aimed at addressing a housing crisis failed to pass in parliament amid nationwide protests on the issue.

- Ends
(with inputs from Reuters)