At least 30 people have been killed and several others injured after two high-speed trains collided south of Madrid, with authorities warning that the death toll could rise as emergency crews race to rescue victims.
The collision occurred shortly before 9 a.m. local time on Wednesday, triggering a major emergency response involving firefighters, helicopters and mobile intensive care units.
The spokeswoman for the regional government of Castilla-La Mancha, Esther Padilla, confirmed the fatalities, warning that the initial figures could increase as more information emerges from the crash site.
Manuel Galan, mayor of Urda, also confirmed that the collision left several people injured.
Spanish emergency services said rescue operations were underway, with multiple fire crews, three helicopters and two mobile intensive care units deployed to the scene.
Rail infrastructure operator ADIF confirmed the crash and announced the suspension of high-speed rail services linking Madrid with southern Spain as emergency teams responded to the incident.
A Year of Rail Tragedies
The latest disaster comes less than a year after another deadly collision near Adamuz, in southern Spain, on January 18, 2026.
In that incident, an Iryo high-speed train derailed and its carriages entered the path of an oncoming Renfe train. The resulting collision killed 46 people and injured hundreds, making it one of Spain’s deadliest rail disasters in decades.
The Adamuz crash triggered an investigation into railway infrastructure and safety. In September, a Spanish Civil Guard report highlighted a possible failure in a rail weld, with investigators examining material fatigue as a potential factor.
The findings formed part of the ongoing investigation and did not, by themselves, establish a definitive cause.
Two days after the Adamuz disaster, another train derailed near Gelida, close to Barcelona, killing the train driver and injuring 37 passengers. The back-to-back incidents intensified scrutiny of Spain’s railway network and renewed calls for stronger safety measures.
Spain’s Deadly Rail History
Spain’s latest crash also recalls the July 2013 derailment near Santiago de Compostela, when a high-speed train travelling from Madrid to Ferrol came off the tracks on a sharp curve.
Eighty people were killed and 145 injured, making it one of Europe’s deadliest railway accidents in recent history. Investigators identified excessive speed as a central factor in the disaster.
The latest collision adds to mounting concerns over rail safety, particularly as investigators continue examining the causes of the country’s recent accidents.
For now, emergency teams remain focused on rescue operations, while authorities work to establish the circumstances surrounding Wednesday’s collision and determine whether any safety failures contributed to the disaster.
