Update · 28 Oct 2026, 4:36 PM PKT: The death toll from the collision of two high-speed trains near Urda has risen to at least 39. Regional authorities had earlier put the toll at at least 30.
A collision between two high-speed trains south of Madrid has killed at least 30 people, regional authorities said on Wednesday, and officials warned the figure could climb. The crash in the central region of Castilla-La Mancha is Spain’s second major rail disaster this year.
Images shared by local media showed wreckage scattered across the tracks and an embankment as emergency crews rushed to the site. Frightened passengers were seen hauling their luggage away after escaping from the carriages. Sources in the regional government had earlier given a toll of 10 before the figure was raised. Authorities have not yet said how many people were injured.
Emergency crews deployed to the crash site in Urda
A spokesperson for Spain’s emergency services said the trains collided just before 9:00 am (0800 GMT) in the municipality of Urda, roughly 130 kilometres (80 miles) south of Madrid. The spokesperson said “All resources are currently being deployed”, including several fire crews, three helicopters and two mobile intensive care units.
State railway operator Renfe said in a statement that the main high-speed line linking Madrid with southern Spain had been suspended. One of its services was involved in the accident with a train run by the private company Iryo. Esther Padilla, a spokeswoman for the Castilla-La Mancha government, told local outlet CMM that the death toll could rise, saying “it is possible that the number will increase”.
Sanchez pauses campaigning after the disaster
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who is seeking to extend his eight-year term in a general election on November 29, said on X that he was “shocked” by the accident. He sent his love, solidarity and support to the victims and their families. The accident occurred about a month before the vote, which Sanchez called early in an effort to reverse unfavourable polling.
Sanchez cancelled his attendance at a summit on obesity in Madrid once news of the crash broke. His Socialist party also suspended all of its campaign activities. Sanchez had faced heavy criticism over the first disaster.
Second deadly crash raises rail safety questions
Spain’s high-speed network has expanded considerably in recent years after large investment, becoming the world’s second-largest after China and a source of national pride. However, a collision between two high-speed trains outside the southern village of Adamuz in January left 46 people dead. That incident raised serious questions about safety on the country’s railways.
The Adamuz crash was Spain’s deadliest train accident since 2013, when 80 people died after a train left a curved section of track outside the northwestern city of Santiago de Compostela. Both of this year’s accidents took place on the line connecting Madrid with the southern city of Seville. One of the country’s busiest routes, it was Spain’s first high-speed line when it opened in 1992 to coincide with the Seville universal exposition.
International leaders express condolences
Condolences came in from across Spain and Europe. The Spanish royal household said on X that it was “shocked and concerned” by the accident and offered its support to the victims, their loved ones and the emergency services. European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said “Europe mourns” with the victims after the “devastating news”. French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his country’s “solidarity”.
