At least 68 people were killed and dozens of others injured when a high-speed passenger train collided with another train south of Madrid, near the central city of Toledo. The disaster marks Spain's deadliest rail incident since 2013.
The collision occurred on Wednesday morning when a Renfe high-speed train struck a stationary Iryo train from behind, sending carriages down a rural embankment in the province of Toledo. More than 500 passengers were reportedly traveling across the two trains involved.
Spain's transport minister stated that an "inexplicable" decision by the rail control center led to the crash, following an initial computer failure that had caused trains to halt along the route. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited the crash site to express condolences, declaring that the country is grieving as major political parties suspended their general election campaigning.
Emergency responders, military units, and Civil Guard officers were promptly deployed to the area to assist survivors and secure the scene. Local officials warned that the death toll could potentially rise as rescue workers search deeper into the heavily damaged carriages.
