UPDATE - Dozens killed in high-speed train crash in central Spain
- Regional president confirms at least 30 deaths, warns toll expected to rise as rescuers struggle to reach inside wrecked carriages
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- Regional president confirms at least 30 deaths, warns toll expected to rise as rescuers struggle to reach inside wrecked carriages
UPDATED DEATH TOLL, DECK, INJURIES, OFFICIAL SOURCING, CAUSE AT THE END, DETAILS OF LAST YEAR’S CRASH
By Alyssa McMurtry
OVIEDO, Spain (AA) - At least 30 people were killed Wednesday when two high-speed trains collided in central Spain, the regional president said, warning that the death toll is expected to rise.
“We expect to find more (victims) because it has not yet been possible to reach deep inside the carriages,” Emiliano Garcia-Page, the president of Castile-La Mancha, told reporters near the crash site.
A Renfe AVE train struck the rear of an Iryo train that had stopped and then resumed moving, according to passengers. Two carriages derailed and fell down an embankment, emergency services said.
Garcia-Page said around 30 people were being treated for minor injuries, about 50 had more serious injuries, and a smaller number were in critical condition.
“There were dead people underneath the trains. So many people couldn’t get out, screams ... it was horrifying,” Eduarda, a passenger on the Iryo train, told Spanish radio station Cadena SER.
Wednesday's crash occurred near the Urda station in the Toledo province at around 8.54 am local time (0754GMT).
Rail infrastructure operator Adif said both trains involved were serving the Madrid-Seville route. Services linking Madrid, Ciudad Real, and Andalusia were suspended.
Emergency crews, including firefighters and medical helicopters, were deployed to the scene. The Castilla-La Mancha regional government activated its emergency response plan.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez canceled his scheduled engagements to monitor the emergency. Regional President Emiliano Garcia-Page said he was heading to the crash site, and various political parties canceled campaign events scheduled for Wednesday.
European leaders, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, have offered their condolences.
The cause remained under investigation, though initial reports point to human error.
Garcia-Page declined to address a possible cause, saying initial assessments appeared “coherent” but it was not his place to comment. He said the immediate priority was responding to the emergency and assisting victims and their families.
The collision comes nine months after the Adamuz rail disaster in southern Spain, which killed 46 people and injured more than 120. It was Spain’s deadliest train crash since the 2013 derailment near Santiago de Compostela, which killed 80 people.
Alyssa Mcmurtry