Two high-speed trains crash in Spain, at least 30 dead
Two high-speed trains collide in Toledo, Spain, killing at least 30 people. Authorities warn death toll could rise significantly.
A pair of high-speed trains collided Wednesday morning in Toledo, Spain, leaving at least 30 people dead and authorities bracing for a much grimmer final count.
The crash happened in the province of Toledo, with Spain's rail operator ADIF confirming the incident occurred during morning hours. Local officials warned the death toll would likely climb as rescue crews worked through the wreckage. One authority called it a "major tragedy" as the scale of the disaster became clearer.
The two trains involved carried a staggering number of passengers. Iryo 7076 had 146 passengers and one infant on board. AVE 2080 was packed with 397 passengers. That's roughly 544 people spread across both trains when they hit.
This isn't Spain's first rail disaster in recent memory. Less than a year ago, two trains collided near Adamuz in Córdoba province, killing 46 people and injuring 152 more. That crash happened in January, making Wednesday's collision all the more shocking for a country already scarred by such catastrophe.
Spain operates Europe's largest high-speed rail network—second only to China globally. The system moved 25 million passengers in 2024 alone, so a collision of this magnitude raises urgent questions about safety protocols and how such an incident could occur on a modern system.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said he was "shocked" by the accident. Transport minister Óscar Puente rushed to the emergency control centre, arriving around 9:40am to coordinate the response and gather details about what went wrong. Rescue operations were still underway as authorities worked to reach survivors trapped in the trains.
