Spain Train Crash: 68 Dead, 77 Injured as Safety Decisions Face Scrutiny

MADRID — At least 68 people were killed and 77 injured in Spain’s high-speed train collision on Wednesday, according to the regional emergency service’s 4 p.m. update, as the transport minister questioned why a train had been allowed to resume normal running after a safety-system failure.

A Renfe AVE train travelling from Madrid to Seville struck the rear of a stationary Iryo train near Urda, in Toledo province, shortly before 9 a.m. The impact sent carriages off the track and down the embankment, leaving rescue crews working through badly damaged sections of both trains.

The rising toll and the first detailed account of the collision brought fresh questions about railway safety, nine months after another disaster involving the same two operators. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced three days of national mourning, while opposition parties demanded answers about the management of the network.

The latest death toll and injury figures

The Castilla-La Mancha government said 44 of those killed had been aboard the Iryo train and 24 aboard the AVE. At least 15 injured people were in serious condition, according to RTVE’s evening report, citing regional authorities.

The emergency service’s figure of 77 refers to people reported injured, rather than a count of patients still in hospital. Earlier estimates varied during the day. The figures remained provisional as recovery work continued, and regional president Emiliano García-Page warned that more victims could be found when damaged carriages were moved.

The new figures supersede the initial toll of at least 30 deaths reported in Antigua.news’s earlier coverage of the Urda crash.

Video: Capital Radio’s report from a passenger aboard one of the trains. Published October 28, 2026; in Spanish. Watch on YouTube.

A safety-system failure, then an order to restart

In his preliminary account of the sequence, Transport Minister Óscar Puente said a computer communications failure brought down LZB, an automatic train-protection system, at about 8:30 a.m. The failure automatically stopped trains in the affected section.

At about 8:36 a.m., he said, Adif’s control centre at Madrid Atocha authorised the AVE to resume normal running, even though the Iryo remained stationary ahead and a red signal was active. The AVE travelled roughly 25 kilometres before hitting the other train at about 8:53 a.m.

Puente said the rules called for restricted “running on sight”, at no more than 40 kilometres per hour, allowing the driver to stop for obstacles. He described the decision to allow normal running in those circumstances as “inexplicable”.

The train’s actual speed at impact had not been established. The minister’s account identifies decisions for investigators to examine; it is not a final finding on individual or criminal responsibility.

National mourning and political demands for answers

Sánchez visited the emergency command centre in Urda and announced national mourning from October 29 to 31. He promised a full investigation and firm action if negligence or failures in the safety system were established.

The prime minister said Spain could not accept two high-speed rail disasters in one year. He said the causes of the two collisions appeared to be different, while stressing that investigators and the courts would have to establish what happened.

Video: Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez speaks at the emergency command centre in Urda on October 28, 2026. Source: La Moncloa; in Spanish. Watch on YouTube.

Opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo called for immediate government and judicial inquiries, along with a complete, independent review of the railway network. The Popular Party leader said the public deserved to know what warnings had followed the Adamuz disaster and what measures had been taken. He said Wednesday was not the day to debate political responsibility.

Most major parties suspended their pre-election events. Vox continued its programme and, by early evening, had filed a criminal complaint alleging negligent homicide by Adif personnel, according to RTVE, which said it had seen the complaint. The filing is an allegation, not a finding of guilt.

José Ignacio García, the leader of Adelante Andalucía, called for Puente’s resignation and argued that responsibility should not be placed solely on one employee. Asked earlier about his own position, Puente said his focus was on establishing what had happened.

Another railway tragedy before Spain votes

The collision follows the January 18 disaster at Adamuz, in Córdoba province, which killed 46 people and injured more than 100. Antigua.news covered that crash as the death toll emerged. It, too, involved Iryo and Renfe, but the circumstances described so far are different: at Adamuz, an Iryo train derailed into the path of a Renfe train; at Urda, the AVE struck a train stopped ahead of it.

Spain’s general election is scheduled for November 29, 32 days after the Urda collision. The formal campaign begins on November 13. Wednesday’s demands for inquiries and a network review have brought railway safety into the pre-election debate, while the technical and judicial investigations still have to establish responsibility.

Travel disruption and help for families

Renfe said high-speed services between Madrid, Ciudad Real and Andalusia were suspended. Passengers should check with their operator before travelling. A confirmed reopening time was not available in the updates reviewed for this report.

Family assistance is available through Renfe on 900 10 10 20, Iryo on 900 001 403 and the regional emergency service on 900 122 112. Adif has set up assistance points at major stations, while the regional emergency response includes military, medical and psychological support.

Reporting checked on October 28, 2026. This is a developing story. All times in the account of the collision are local Spanish time (CET).