According to Spanish media reports on October 28th, a serious railway accident occurred in the province of Toledo in central Spain that morning. Two high-speed trains collided with each other, resulting in the death of 64 people.
The accident occurred at around 8:54 am local time. It involved a AVE high-speed train operated by the Spanish national railway company Renfe, and a high-speed train operated by the private company Iryo. According to the autonomous region government, the two trains carried 397 and 147 passengers respectively, totaling 544 people. Preliminary reports indicate that the Renfe train collided with the Iryo train that was parked on the track from behind, causing both cars of the Iryo train to derail and fall off the embankment.
According to the government of the Castilla-La Mancha Autonomous Region, the number of deaths in the accident has reached 64.
After the accident, a large number of rescue workers rushed to the scene. The Spanish government has mobilized emergency resources, and high-speed railway traffic between Madrid and Andalusia has been suspended. Rescue efforts are still ongoing, and the number of casualties may change further.
Preliminary analysis shows that a staff member at the control center mistakenly issued an order while a train ahead was occupying the track, allowing the train behind to continue moving, resulting in a head-on collision.
