At least 46 killed as high-speed trains collide in central Spain

Two passenger trains collided on Spain's Madrid-Seville high-speed line between Urda and Los Yébenes in Toledo province on Wednesday, killing at least 46 people and seriously injuring at least 50. Early findings point to a mistaken movement authorization after a signaling failure.

At least 46 people were killed and dozens more injured on Wednesday when two passenger trains collided on Spain's Madrid-Seville high-speed line in Toledo province, authorities said, in the country's second deadly high-speed rail disaster this year.

The crash happened at 8:54 a.m. local time between the towns of Urda and Los Yébenes, involving state operator Renfe's AVE train 2080 and private operator Iryo's train 6076. The AVE was carrying 393 passengers and the Iryo train 147, including a baby. According to early reports, one train, traveling in the same direction, slammed into the rear of the other as it stood on the track, derailing two carriages. At least 50 people were seriously hurt.

What caused the crash

Initial findings reported by El País indicate a technical fault in the line's signaling system forced trains to stop. After the safety system was switched to manual control, an operator at the control center in Madrid is believed to have mistakenly authorized one train to move even though another was stopped on the track.

Rail infrastructure manager Adif said the cause had not yet been identified. A court in Orgaz will lead the investigation, and the line's LZB automatic train control system is also under scrutiny, according to Spanish media.

A rail through a carriage

Images from the scene showed a rail torn loose by the force of the impact piercing straight through one carriage, while aerial footage revealed derailed cars piled on top of one another beside the track.

A rail that pierced through a carriage in the crash

Rescue operation

Dozens of ambulances, fire crews and rescue teams rushed to the scene, and Red Cross staff treated the injured at a sports center in Urda. Castilla-La Mancha regional president Emiliano García-Page warned the toll was likely to rise, saying rescuers had not yet reached the depths of the wrecked carriages.

All of the injured have been evacuated from the site. The Civil Guard opened assistance offices for relatives in Madrid, Seville, Córdoba and Toledo, and high-speed service between Madrid, Ciudad Real and Andalusia was suspended.

A nation in mourning

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez canceled a public event to follow the situation and briefed King Felipe VI by phone. The king called it a "terrible accident," offered his condolences and suspended his agenda for Wednesday and Thursday. Transport Minister Óscar Puente said he was at the control center "trying to obtain all possible information about what happened."

Spain's Congress canceled all activities scheduled for Wednesday. Seville's mayor declared three days of official mourning, and the Spanish Federation of Municipalities called for a minute of silence outside town halls across the country at 8 p.m.

Ten months after Adamuz

The disaster comes about 10 months after a January crash near Adamuz, in Córdoba province, involving trains from the same two operators, which killed 45 people. That accident had been Spain's deadliest rail crash since the 2013 Santiago de Compostela derailment that killed 80.

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At least 46 killed as high-speed trains collide in central Spain