Spain Train Crash Death Toll Rises to 64 as Rescue Teams Search Wreckage Near Toledo

Photo: Marcelo Del Pozo/Reuters via Al Jazeera

At least 64 people have now been confirmed dead after two high-speed trains collided near Toledo in central Spain on Wednesday, more than double the toll reported earlier in the day, as rescue teams keep searching the wreckage for survivors and bodies.

The Castilla-La Mancha regional government confirmed the new figure on Wednesday evening, Al Jazeera reported. About 80 people were injured, around 50 of them seriously and 15 critically, regional president Emiliano Garcia-Page said, warning that some of the most seriously injured might not survive.

Main News Report

The crash happened early on Wednesday near Urda, in Toledo province, south of Madrid, on the high-speed line that links the capital with Seville. A Renfe AVE train travelling from Madrid to Seville struck the rear of an Iryo train that had stopped on the same track, and two carriages derailed.

Two carriages of the Iryo train fell down an embankment, emergency service sources quoted by El Pais said. Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia said rescue workers were focusing on the two most damaged carriages, where survivors and bodies were still being recovered.

"It was a high-speed impact, so we are expecting this to be a tragedy," Garcia told Spanish public broadcaster TVE.

The two trains were carrying 544 passengers between them, 397 on the Renfe service and 147 on the Iryo service, regional government spokeswoman Esther Padilla said. Spain's rail infrastructure operator, ADIF, suspended high-speed services between Madrid and Andalusia while the Civil Guard sent a disaster investigation team to the site.

This is the third toll update in a single day for the same crash. PakInsight Hub first reported at least 10 dead on Wednesday morning, and later updated the toll to 30 as rescue teams searched the wreckage near Toledo. The jump to 64 shows how fast the picture changed once rescuers reached the worst-hit carriages.

• Morning, 28 October: first reports put the toll at 10 dead.
• Afternoon, 28 October: the toll rose to at least 30 as the search widened.
• Evening, 28 October: the regional government confirmed at least 64 dead and about 80 injured.
• Passengers on board: 397 on the Renfe train and 147 on the Iryo train.
• Services: high-speed trains between Madrid and Andalusia suspended after the crash.

Background Context

The collision took place on a flat stretch of railway between the towns of Urda and Los Yebenes, surrounded by open fields. The two trains were travelling in the same direction when one ran into the back of the other, which was stationary, Padilla told TVE. The cause of the crash was not immediately clear.

Spain's rail network is one of the busiest high-speed systems in Europe, and the Madrid to Seville line is a main route for business travel and tourism. Wednesday's crash is the second major train accident in Spain this year, and it comes nine months after a derailment in southern Spain that also killed dozens of people.

Footage from the scene showed wreckage scattered down a slope beside the track, with rescue crews and members of the public gathered around it. At Seville Santa Justa station, passengers waited with luggage as trains were delayed and cancelled in the wake of the crash.

Reactions and Statements

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he was shocked by the incident and remained in contact with Transport Minister Oscar Puente and Garcia-Page as emergency crews worked at the scene.

"Shocked by the serious train accident in Toledo. My affection, solidarity, and support to all the victims and their families," Sanchez said on X.

Garcia-Page said the region was working with other administrations to look after the injured and their families, and thanked the security and health services and neighbouring regions for their help. Madrid Mayor Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida said the capital was also sending emergency medical teams and firefighters to assist.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she was devastated by the news and extended condolences to the victims' families. "Today, Europe mourns with you," she said. French President Emmanuel Macron also expressed solidarity, saying his thoughts were with the victims, their families, the injured and rescue workers.

Why This News Matters

A toll of 64 makes this one of the deadliest rail disasters in Spain in more than a decade, and the number may still rise. With 15 people in critical condition and rescue work still going on in the two worst-damaged carriages, hospitals across Castilla-La Mancha are bracing for more bad news.

For travellers, the crash has shut a key high-speed route. Services between Madrid and Andalusia were suspended, and passengers faced long delays and cancellations at stations including Seville Santa Justa. For Spain, the crash raises hard questions about safety on a line that has now seen two serious accidents in one year, even though officials have not yet said what caused this collision.

The story also matters beyond Spain. High-speed rail is held up around the world as a safe way to travel, so a rear-end collision between two trains on the same track will be studied closely by rail operators everywhere, including in countries planning new fast lines.

Future Developments After the Spain Train Crash

Three things will shape the next updates. First, the confirmed toll, as rescue teams finish their work in the wreckage and hospitals report on the critically injured. Second, the Civil Guard investigation, which will look at signalling, speed and why one train was stopped on the line ahead of the other. Third, the return of services, as ADIF checks the track and repairs the damaged section before trains run again between Madrid and Andalusia.

PakInsight Hub will update this story as the regional government releases new figures and the investigation gives its first findings. Readers can follow the earlier coverage here: Spain train crash, first report (at least 10 killed) and Spain train crash toll rises to 30. Another major rescue story covered today, the Cyclone Arnab deaths update from India, shows how quickly tolls can change in the first hours after a disaster.

Sources

• Al Jazeera: Train crash in Spain kills at least 64 people
• Geo News: Death toll in Spain train crash rises to 64, says regional government

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