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- The Urda town council has set up a pavilion to care for those affected
- All parties, except Vox, have suspended their pre-election campaign events due to what happened
t least 64 people have died and dozens have been injured after two trains collided and several carriages plunged down an embankment in Urda, Toledo, on Wednesday, as confirmed by the regional government of Castilla-La Mancha. More fatalities are possible as rescue efforts continue. All political parties, except Vox, have canceled their pre-campaign events following the accident.
The accident occurred shortly before 9:00 a.m. this morning at kilometer marker 118, between a Renfe AVE high-speed train and an Iryo train. Both were traveling from Madrid to Seville. The Renfe train had departed from Atocha station around 8:00 a.m. and was scheduled to arrive at Santa Justa station at 10:39 a.m., while the Iryo train had departed at 7:54 a.m. and was expected to arrive at Seville station at 10:46 a.m.
Before the death toll of 64 was confirmed, the president of Castilla-La Mancha, Emiliano García-Page, told RNE that, up to that point, 26 AVE passengers and six from the Iryo train had been confirmed dead, although he warned that more deaths were likely to be found, as the wreckage was still being cleared. Speaking to the press at the scene of the tragedy, he detailed that, regarding the injured , 30 were being treated for minor injuries, about 50 with varying degrees of severity, and a few, “fewer,” in critical condition.
All the injured have been evacuated
The Government Delegation in Castilla-La Mancha has reported that 393 passengers were on the Renfe train and 147 on the Iryo train. The deceased are being taken to the Institute of Legal Medicine in Toledo, and the injured to the Urda Sports Center at the Santo Cristo School. All the injured have been evacuated, and only the deceased remain at the scene of the accident. Three support centers have been set up for the families, in Seville, Madrid, and Toledo.
The Minister of Health, Mónica García , has acknowledged that it was ” a high-impact accident ,” and therefore expected to be “a major tragedy.” All emergency services have been deployed, and all nearby hospitals , both in the Community of Madrid and Castilla-La Mancha, have been notified to free up ICU beds and operating rooms. The most worrying aspect, the minister said, is the carriages that suffered the most damage, where rescue and emergency operations are ongoing.
On social media, the Civil Guard has shared images of the rescue efforts.
Renfe has reported that AVE train 2080 collided with Iryo train 6076 at the entrance to Urda station. Images of the tragedy show several carriages overturned on the embankment.
All trains on the Madrid-Seville line are currently stopped at stations along the route. Adif has set up assistance points for those affected by the accident at the Madrid-Puerta de Atocha, Seville-Santa Justa, and Córdoba-Julio Anguita stations.
The company has activated its crisis management team and set up the telephone number 900 101 020, as part of its Plan for Assistance to Victims of Railway Accidents and their Families. Iryo has also activated the number 900 001 403 for inquiries and assistance related to the accident. For its part, the 112 emergency service has activated the number 900 122 112.
The Civil Guard has also set up several offices for first-degree relatives of the victims of the train accident. Sources from the force have reported that the “priority objective” is the “identification” of the missing persons and the collection of DNA samples to expedite the identification process.
“Civil Protection has asked us to make a pavilion available in case they need to use it,” said the mayor of Urda, Manuel Galán , in statements to La Hora de la 1.
At 9:15 a.m., the regional government activated the Territorial Emergency Plan of Castilla-La Mancha (Platecam) in the Emergency phase, Operational Situation 1, in Toledo.
Furthermore, sources within the central government have indicated that the Ministry of the Interior has activated the deployment of the Military Emergency Unit (UME) at the request of the Castile-La Mancha regional government. The unit, comprised of nearly one hundred military personnel , will be expanded throughout the day and includes specialized teams for technical search and rescue, medical support and psychological assistance for those affected, and a team to manage fatalities and identification (morgue).
Three cranes and heavy machinery have also been mobilized for debris removal, lifting and removal of railway material.
“It’s terrible, indescribable,” one of the passengers, Miguel Ángel Pérez, told TVE after getting off the train. He was in the last carriage of the AVE high-speed train. “We’ve grasped the immense gravity” of what happened. “With the huge impact and the rattling, we started holding onto the seats,” he said.
“We were able to get out of the carriage by breaking the windows,” he said.
Fernando Seco , another passenger, gave his testimony in a video recorded on his own phone: “I’m in the wrecked carriage, off to one side. I can’t show you much more; in the background is one of the carriages. I think it’s number seven of the AVE high-speed train that was going from Madrid to Seville, and there were several deaths in the accident, which happened at approximately 8:55. We felt it; I was in carriage 2. We felt a sudden stop, a crash that moved everyone and all the seats,” he said.
He recounted that they were able to leave the area thanks to some people working in the fields who cut holes in the fence. “After getting off the train, we went over to the wrecked carriages; everyone was in shock. And we lent a hand there to try to help the injured and the dead,” he said.
“It was all a disaster, I was curled up and they had to pull me out,” said another survivor, who was on the AVE train and received a blow to the nose. “The Civil Guard came immediately, we saw ambulances and firefighters.”
Upon arriving at the area, TVE journalist Irene Santamaría was able to verify the “absolute chaos” that the place is experiencing, where ambulances are constantly passing by.
“Emergency services are moving around, people who were inside the trains are getting out, others are approaching the area to look for relatives. Information is trickling in,” he said.
The king: “To convey our sadness to the families at such a difficult time”
King Felipe VI has conveyed his condolences to the victims and families of the accident: “The first thing is to lament this terrible tragedy, to convey to the families our condolences, sadness, support and affection at such a difficult time,” the monarch told the press at the Bétera military base in Valencia, where he had an engagement this Wednesday.
He stated that all circumstances surrounding the incident are currently being analyzed. He also indicated that he has already spoken with García Page and is awaiting his return to Madrid to monitor the emergency and learn more details about what happened. Therefore, he announced that activities in Bétera have been shortened to facilitate his return.
“By the way, a few words of encouragement, support and recognition to all the emergency services that are dealing with the situation,” he concluded.
Politicians cancel their schedules
In the midst of the pre-campaign for the general elections on November 29, some of the main political figures are cancelling their agendas after what happened, including the Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez .
“I am deeply saddened by the serious train accident in Toledo. I am in constant contact with the Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente , and the President of Castilla-La Mancha, Emiliano García-Page. Emergency services are working on the ground to assist those affected and ensure their safety , in coordination with all the relevant authorities. My thoughts, solidarity, and support go out to all the victims and their families,” the Prime Minister wrote on social media.
The president of the People’s Party, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, also expressed his concern on the same platform . “I am very worried about the information we are receiving regarding another train accident. The priority now is to attend to the victims and support their families. My full support goes to the emergency teams working on the ground.”
Nine months after the Adamuz tragedy
This incident occurred just months after the Adamuz (Cordoba) train accident, which left 46 dead after an Iryo (Malaga-Madrid) train derailed and invaded the adjacent track and collided with an Alvia (Madrid-Huelva) train.
