Death toll from train collision in Spain rises to 86 as search continues

Search and rescue operations are continuing after a serious rail accident in Spain that has so far left 86 people dead. Authorities have not ruled out the possibility that the toll could rise further.

The collision occurred at around 9 a.m. on Wednesday near Urda, on the Madrid–Seville line in Toledo province, about 130 kilometers south of Madrid. A train operated by state-owned Renfe struck from behind a train operated by private company Iryo, which had stopped on the tracks.

The impact caused several carriages to derail and plunge down an embankment. Images from the scene show wrecked carriages and metal fragments scattered around.

A total of 544 passengers were aboard the two trains: 397 on the Renfe train and 147 on the Iryo train, including an infant.

The cause of the accident has not yet been determined. Investigators are examining the safety systems and the circumstances that led the Renfe train to collide with the stationary Iryo train.

This is Spain’s second major rail tragedy in 2026. In January, an accident near Adamuz in Córdoba province killed 46 people and raised concerns about the safety of the rail network.

Spain has the world’s second-largest high-speed rail network, after China, with around 3,900 kilometers of track. The death toll remains provisional as teams search the wreckage of the carriages and work to identify the dead.