Spain Train Collision Kills 10, Halts Madrid to Seville Line

Ten people died Wednesday morning when two high-speed trains collided in Spain's Toledo province, cutting rail service between Madrid and the south.

Spain's state rail infrastructure authority said it suspended traffic on the route to Andalucia after one train struck another from behind. TVE, the state broadcaster, reported the impact knocked two carriages off the rails. Adif, the rail operator, said the crash occurred on the Madrid to Seville line.

Esther Padilla, a spokesperson for the Castilla-La Mancha regional government, said authorities had confirmed 10 deaths. "The information we are receiving is not good at all. There are at least 10 dead and it is possible that the number will increase," she told local media. Government sources told El País that the incident could prove worse than the Adamuz rail disaster in January, which killed 46 people.

Footage from regional broadcaster Castilla La Mancha Television showed a derailed train, with one carriage left on an elevated section of track. Twisted metal, broken panels, and other wreckage littered the embankment below the line. Manuel Galán, mayor of Urda near Toledo, said emergency services asked him to prepare a sports hall to house the injured.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said in a post on X that he was in contact with the transport minister and the president of Castilla-La Mancha. "Emergency services are working on the ground to assist those affected and ensure their safety, in coordination with all the involved administrations," Sánchez wrote. Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of the opposition People's party, posted that he was "very concerned" and that the priority was attending to victims and their families.

Spain's major political parties paused their planned activities for the day, with a general election scheduled for next month.