Rail Collision in Toledo: 10 Killed in Central Spain Crash
Two high-speed trains collided on Wednesday, killing at least 10 people and suspending service between Madrid and Andalusia.
By Riya Ross ·
Ten people died on Wednesday when a moving high-speed train struck the rear of a stationary train in the province of Toledo, central Spain. Authorities confirmed the toll but warned the count is expected to increase as rescue efforts continue.
Esther Padilla, spokeswoman for the Castilla La Mancha region, told state broadcaster TVE that the impact knocked two carriages off the tracks. Both trains were traveling from Madrid toward Seville in the same direction. One train was stopped when the other collided with it.
The collision occurred on the line operated by ADIF, Spain's rail infrastructure manager. Service between Madrid, Ciudad Real, and Andalusia was suspended following the accident. The two trains involved belonged to different operators: one to state-owned RENFE and the other to private carrier IRYO.
Padilla stated that 397 passengers were on the RENFE train and 147 were aboard the IRYO service. The cause of the crash has not yet been determined. Manuel Galán, mayor of the nearby town of Urda, said passengers were injured and that local authorities were preparing a sports pavilion to treat them.
This incident follows a deadly crash in January involving the same two rail companies. In that accident, 45 people died when a train derailed and struck an oncoming train. The January event was the deadliest in Spain since 2013, when 80 people were killed.
Emiliano García-Page, the regional president of Castilla La Mancha, said he was traveling to the crash site on Wednesday.
Source: CBS News
