At Least 10 Dead After Two High-Speed Trains Collide in Toledo Province, Spain

At least 10 people have died and many more are feared injured after two high-speed trains collided in Toledo province, in central Spain, on Wednesday morning.

Spain's state rail infrastructure authority, Adif, said services between Madrid and the southern region of Andalucía were suspended following a rear-end collision between two trains. It said the crash took place on the line linking Madrid and Seville.

Esther Padilla, a spokesperson for the regional government of Castilla-La Mancha, where the crash occurred, said officials could confirm 10 deaths. "The information we are receiving is not good at all. There are at least 10 dead and it is possible that the number will increase," she told local media.

Spain's state broadcaster, TVE, reported that a high-speed train ran into the back of another service, pushing two carriages off the track. Footage aired by regional broadcaster Castilla La Mancha Television showed a derailed train with at least one carriage still on an elevated section of track. Twisted metal, broken panels and wreckage were scattered across an embankment below the line.

Government sources told El País that the crash could prove worse than the Adamuz rail disaster in January, in which 46 people were killed.

Manuel Galán, the mayor of Urda, near the city of Toledo, said emergency services had asked him to prepare a sports hall to accommodate the injured.

The crash comes as Spain's main political parties prepare for a general election next month. They suspended their planned activities for the day.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez voiced his shock at the news. "I remain in constant contact with the transport minister, and with the president of Castilla-La Mancha," he said in a post on X. He added that emergency services were working on the ground to help those affected and ensure their safety, in coordination with all the administrations involved, and offered "love, solidarity and support to all the victims and their families."

Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of the opposition People's party, also responded on X. "Very concerned about the information we are getting about a new rail accident," he wrote. "The priority now is to attend to the victims and support their families." He pledged his full support to the emergency teams at the scene.