Two high-speed trains collide in Toledo province
At least 10 feared dead as rear-end crash halts Madrid–Andalusia services, second mass-casualty rail disaster in Spain this year after Adamuz killed 46
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A regional government spokesperson has said the cause and number of injuries are still being determined. Illustration: Guardian
theguardian.com
Two high-speed trains collided in Toledo province in central Spain on Wednesday morning, with government sources telling El País that at least 10 people had been killed and many more injured. Spain's state rail infrastructure authority suspended services between Madrid and Andalucía after the crash, cutting the capital's rail link to the country's south.
State broadcaster TVE reported that the crash occurred when a high-speed train ran into the back of another service, knocking two carriages off the track. A spokesperson for the regional government of Castilla-La Mancha, where the crash took place, said the cause and the number of injuries were still being determined. Rear-end collisions are what rail signalling exists to prevent; how two trains came to share the same stretch of track will be the first question any inquiry must answer.
Government sources told El País the toll could exceed that of the Adamuz disaster in January, when two high-speed trains derailed in southern Spain and 46 people were killed. Spain has now had two mass-casualty rail accidents in ten months, both involving high-speed services on one of the world's longest dedicated networks.
In Urda, a town near the city of Toledo, mayor Manuel Galán said emergency services had asked him to prepare a sports hall to accommodate the injured. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said he was shocked by the crash, remained in constant contact with the transport minister and the president of Castilla-La Mancha, and added his 'love, solidarity, and support to all the victims and their families.' Emergency services, he said, were working on the ground to assist those affected and ensure their safety, in coordination with all the involved administrations. Spain's main political parties suspended their planned activities for the day; they had been gearing up for a general election scheduled for next month.