Spain train crash near Toledo: at least 64 dead as Renfe train hits stopped Iryo train

At least 64 people were killed on Wednesday morning, 28 October, when a high-speed Renfe train slammed into the back of a stopped Iryo train near Urda in Toledo province, central Spain. The Castilla-La Mancha regional government gave that toll, reported by the Associated Press, and regional president Emiliano García-Page said at least 80 people were injured.

The number climbed all day. Early reports spoke of 10 dead, then 30, and officials warned it could rise further as rescuers worked through the wreckage.

What happened on the Madrid–Seville line?

Both trains had left Madrid’s Atocha station a few minutes apart, heading south to Seville. Regional spokeswoman Esther Padilla said the Iryo train, carrying 147 people, had stopped on the line when the Renfe AVE behind it, carrying 397, hit its rear. Two carriages came off the track, and Spanish media reported some fell down an embankment.

The crash happened just before 9am local time (around 1pm in Pakistan), about 120km south of Madrid.

Passengers described the moment to Spanish radio. One man, Miguel, told COPE he heard “a massive roar” and a thud that lasted around 10 seconds. An Iryo passenger said there was a fire in one carriage and that emergency teams reached them in about 20 minutes.

What caused it?

There is no official cause yet, and Spain’s independent rail accident investigator will lead the inquiry. El País, citing government sources, reported that the main signalling system had failed and trains were being controlled by hand, and that a human error by an operator at Adif, the state rail infrastructure company, was the likely cause. Cadena SER reported the Renfe train was allowed past a red signal. Neither claim has been confirmed officially.

Spain’s second deadly crash this year

This is the second major high-speed collision involving Renfe and Iryo trains in under a year. In January a crash near Adamuz in Córdoba province killed 45 people, according to NBC News, and was the first fatal accident on Spain’s high-speed network since it opened in 1992.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said he was “deeply saddened”, and the royal family sent condolences. Political parties paused campaigning ahead of next month’s general election, and the football federation postponed some Copa del Rey matches. High-speed services between Madrid and Andalusia were suspended.

For Pakistanis in Spain

Spain is home to one of the largest Pakistani communities in Europe, much of it in Barcelona. There has been no report so far of Pakistanis among the victims. Spanish authorities set up an emergency phone line for families; anyone worried about a relative should also contact the Pakistan Embassy in Madrid.

The next update to watch is the official list of victims and the first findings from investigators on the signalling failure.