Spain's High-Speed Train Collision Kills at Least 39, Death Toll May Rise
Updated 11:34 28 Oct 2026 GMTPublished 09:53 28 Oct 2026 GMT
Shocking videos documenting the extent of the damage have been circulating online
Dozens of people are feared dead following a 'serious' crash between two high-speed trains in Spain.
Reports claim that at least 39 people have been killed following the incident in Toldeo on Wednesday (28 October), which took place just after 9am local time.
Hundreds of commuters are said to have been travelling on the trains before a 'rear-end collision' sent carriages flying off the tracks - and officials have warned the death toll is expected to rise throughout the day.
Shocking images and videos of the aftermath of the train crash have been circulating across social media. Officials said there is 'a minimum' of 30 victims so far, Spain's Efe news agency reported.
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Services operated by travel firms Iryo and Renfe were involved in the deadly incident, which one passenger who made it out of the wreckage described as a 'catastrophe'.
Carriages were seen spilling down an embankment after the deadly collision (Juanma Jimenez/Europa Press via Getty Images)
Eduarda, 17, claimed that she saw some people trapped underneath the train carriages, while a 'lot of people couldn't get out'.
Describing the 'chaos' she witnessed, she told broadcaster Cadena Ser: "A lot of people couldn't get out. I heard screams... It was horrific.
"It was a catastrophe... I could hear people screaming in panic."
The incident has forced the suspension of rail services between Madrid, Ciudad Real and Andalusia.
Esther Padilla, a spokesperson for the regional government of Castilla-La Mancha region, where the crash occurred, confirmed that at least ten people perished in the crash - and that the death toll is only expected to rise.
"The information we are receiving is not good at all," she told local media.
Padilla told TVE that 146 passengers - and one infant - were travelling on the Iryo train, while the other train operated by Renfe was carrying 397 passengers.
"The number of confirmed deaths, currently at 10, will almost certainly rise," she said. "The situation is going to worsen."
Passengers have been sharing shocking footage documenting the aftermath online (X)
Iryo confirmed that its 6076 train, which was journeying from Madrid to Seville, was involved in the smash near Urda on Wednesday morning.
The train operator said in a statement: "Iryo has activated all emergency protocols and is working closely with the relevant authorities to manage the situation.
"At this time, there is no estimate for when service will be restored. We will continue to provide updates through our usual communication channels."
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said emergency services are still responding to the horror incident.
Spain’s state-owned news agency TVE reported that the collision occurred when one of the two high-speed trains, which were heading in the same direction, ran into the tail of the other.
This sent two of its carriages flying off the track and is believed to have ultimately derailed the trains.
In a post on X, Sachez said he was 'shocked' by the serious train crash, which is said to have taken place between the towns of Los Yebenes and Urda.
"I remain in constant contact with the Minister of Transport and with the president of Castilla-La Mancha," he said.
"Emergency services are working on the ground to assist those affected and ensure their safety, in coordination with all the involved administrations.
"My affection, solidarity, and support to all the victims and their families."
The mayor of the nearby town of Urda, Manuel Galan, told local media that civil protection authorities have requested to use a sports pavilion as a base to treat the wounded.
The leader of Spain's People Party, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, also shared a social media post in the wake of the incident.
Rail services between Madrid, Ciudad Real and Andalusia have ground to a halt (Francisco J. Olmo/Europa Press via Getty Images)
"Very concerned about the information we are getting about a new rail accident," Feijóo wrote.
"The priority now is to attend to the victims and support their families. My full support to the emergency teams working on the ground."
Adif, the state rail infrastructure authority, also said in a post on X: "Traffic on the Madrid-Andalusia high-speed rail line has been suspended following a rear-end collision between two trains."
The horror train crash comes several months after another collision on the same route cost the lives of 45 people.
A train jumped the track and hit an oncoming train near Adamuz in southern Spain, marking the deadliest train collision since a 2013 incident that resulted in the deaths of 80 people.
Featured Image Credit: X
Topics: World News, Travel, Europe
