At least 30 dead, 80 injured in central Spain train crash

A high-speed train collision in central Spain on Wednesday morning has killed at least 30 people and injured dozens more. The accident occurred just after 9 a.m. in the province of Toledo, approximately 130 to 140 kilometers south of Madrid. The collision involved a Renfe train and a stationary Iryo train on the line connecting Madrid to Andalusia.

According to El Pais English, the Renfe service was carrying 397 passengers while the Iryo service carried 147, for a total of 544 people traveling on the two trains. Esther Padilla, a spokesperson for the Castilla La Mancha region, told Global News and The Korea Times that the trains were heading in the same direction from Madrid to Seville.

The crash caused several carriages to derail, with El Pais English reporting that at least three carriages from the Iryo train and one from the Renfe service plunged down an embankment. The Korea Times notes that the collision occurred when one train slammed into the rear of another that had stopped. While the exact cause remains unconfirmed, El Pais English reported that initial findings suggest a signal passed at danger, where the Renfe train may have passed a signal instructing it to stop.

Rail operator Adif stated that service has been suspended between Madrid, Ciudad Real, and Andalusia. Emergency crews have established temporary treatment areas near the town of Urda to assist those injured in the crash.

Brief written by urgent.news from Global News, The Korea Times, El Pais English, BBC World, New Voice of Ukraine — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.