We were thrown against ceiling: Spain train crash survivors describe deadly impact

Two high-speed trains collided near Urda in Toledo province, killing at least 64 people and injuring 179. The disaster renewed scrutiny of Spain's rail safety as rescuers searched the wreckage.

In Short

• At least 64 killed and 179 injured in Spain's high-speed train collision near Toledo
• 2 trains collided; one was stationary due to signal fault, other struck it at high speed
• Passengers described brutal impact, being thrown inside carriages with serious injuries

Bloodied passengers carrying suitcases and nursing bandaged injuries walked away from the scene of Spain's deadly high-speed train collision on Wednesday, as emergency teams searched mangled carriages for more victims. At least 64 people were killed and 179 injured when two high-speed trains collided near Urda in Toledo province.

Witnesses described being thrown against seats and ceilings as the trains collided. Some passengers escaped with cuts and bruises, while others were left searching for colleagues and fellow travellers. Rescue workers, including firefighters, paramedics and Civil Guard officers, were racing to evacuate survivors and search the wreckage for more victims.

Gonzalo, who was travelling alone for work in carriage 6 of the high-speed train bound for Seville, described the accident as a terrifying experience. His carriage was the first to remain more or less on the tracks, while those ahead were thrown off the line or disappeared into the wreckage.

"I was on the AVE high-speed train, in carriage 6. Towards Seville. It was the first carriage that stayed more or less on the track; all the ones in front of it either flew off or disappeared altogether. I mean, in fact, I didn't even dare to look, I just glanced around and all there was was a mangled mess of metal, generally speaking. I don't know how many carriages were ahead of me, but mine was the first one that stayed more or less on the track," he told Spanish newspaper ABC.

Gonzalo said the train did not slow down before the collision, leaving him increasingly alarmed as the impact approached. He suffered injuries to his back, leg and chest, while his glasses were broken. He left his work backpack behind as he tried to escape.

"The important thing was to get out. I'm a lucky man."

Another passenger, Jesus, was travelling in carriage 2 when he experienced what he described as sudden braking that sent people flying around inside the train. He suffered a blow to the face and was unsure whether his nose had been broken. However, he said he considered himself fortunate compared with those who had suffered more serious injuries.

Jesus was travelling alone, but colleagues from his company were aboard other carriages. While several were safe, he said one person remained unaccounted for.

'THE IMPACT WAS BRUTAL'

Sebastian, who was travelling in carriage 7 of the Iryo train, said the collision caught passengers off guard. He was accustomed to travelling on the service and initially felt no particular alarm when the train stopped.

But the impact threw passengers against seats and ceilings, leaving them struggling to understand what had happened.

"When we stopped, I didn't get nervous because I'm a regular passenger on this train. At the moment of impact, around 8:52, we were all thrown about; everyone hit something, the seats or the ceiling. And think about it: at that moment you're relaxed because you don't expect a sudden impact."

According to him, passengers looked outside and saw smoke before realising that their train had been struck. He said the derailment appeared to have begun around carriage 5, leaving carriages towards the front of the train badly damaged.

Another passenger from carriage 7, who was travelling with four colleagues from Madrid to a company event in Seville, described being thrown around repeatedly during the collision.

"It was a huge shock, we were spinning. Luckily, I was able to get up and start helping people." The passenger suffered minor cuts and a painful back but said he was more shaken than anything else. After getting to his feet, he began helping other passengers instead of collecting his belongings.

PASSENGERS DESCRIBE CONFUSION AFTER CRASH

The collision also disrupted services for passengers travelling on other trains in the area.

Almudena, a teacher who was at Ciudad Real station and had been travelling towards Madrid on a train that preceded the one involved in the crash, described confusion after the accident. She said staff initially did not want to open the train doors and told passengers there had been a rear-end collision, but that it was "nothing serious".

According to her account to ABC, people at the station were crying, while tension grew as passengers tried to understand the scale of the disaster. She said passengers were angry and felt that they could easily have been on one of the trains involved.

RESCUE TEAMS SEARCH FOR MORE VICTIMS

The collision occurred at around 8.54 am near Urda in Toledo province. Firefighters from the Alcazar de San Juan and Orgaz stations, Civil Protection personnel from surrounding towns, medical helicopters and ambulances were deployed to the scene.

Several carriages were left on an elevated section of track, while at least three plunged down an embankment. Twisted metal, broken panels and other debris were scattered beneath the railway line.

The regional government activated the Castilla-La Mancha Territorial Emergency Plan, known as Platecam, at Operational Situation 1 to coordinate the emergency response.

According to a person briefed on the disaster, an Iryo train had stopped near Toledo on the orders of railway infrastructure manager ADIF because of a signal fault. A Renfe train then struck the stationary train at high speed, causing several carriages on both trains to derail.

Renfe said its train had been authorised to continue its journey before it collided with the Iryo service, which had remained stationary. The operator added that the reasons for the other train's continued presence on the track were not known.

SPAIN'S DEADLIEST TRAIN DISASTERS

The latest crash is Spain's second deadly railway accident in less than a year, renewing questions over rail safety and infrastructure ahead of November's snap election.

Here are some of the country's deadliest railway disasters:

• ADAMUZ (2026): A high-speed train derailed and collided with an oncoming train near Adamuz in Córdoba province on January 18, killing 46 people and injuring more than 120. Investigators have examined possible defects in the track, rail or welds.
• SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA (2013): An eight-carriage high-speed train derailed on a sharp bend, killing 80 people and injuring 145. An official investigation attributed the crash to speeding and driver distraction.
• MADRID (2004): Coordinated bombings on four commuter trains during rush hour killed 193 people and injured thousands. Islamist militants carried out the attacks.
• EL CUERVO (1972): A head-on collision between two trains on the Cdiz-Seville route killed 86 people and injured more than 150. An investigation attributed the accident to a train driver failing to stop at a red signal.
• URDULIZ (1970): A head-on collision near Bilbao killed 33 people. Questions later emerged over working conditions after the stationmaster initially blamed for the crash was found to have worked 16-hour shifts for four consecutive days.
• GRISEN (1965): A train caught fire near Zaragoza. While the operator reported 30 deaths, later accounts put the toll as high as 80.
• TORRE DEL BIERZO (1944): A collision involving three trains inside a tunnel in Leon province is considered one of Spain's deadliest railway disasters. Estimates of the death toll remain disputed, with figures including 78 victims.

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