Death toll in Spain train accident rises to 64 as search for survivors continues

The death toll from the crash between two trains in Spain has risen sharply.

At least 64 people have died after two high-speed trains collided in the province of Toledo, about 130 kilometers south of Madrid. Authorities have not ruled out a further rise in the death toll as search and rescue operations continue.

The collision occurred on Wednesday at around 9:00 a.m., near Urda, on the Madrid–Seville line. A train operated by state-owned Renfe struck from behind a train operated by private company Iryo, which was stopped on the tracks.

The impact caused several carriages to derail and end up on an embankment beside the railway. Images from the scene show destroyed carriages and metal debris scattered across the area.

A total of 544 passengers were traveling on the two trains. There were 397 people aboard the Renfe train, while the Iryo train carried 147 passengers, 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 strike the stationary Iryo train from behind. This is Spain’s second major rail disaster in 2026.

An accident in January near Adamuz, in the province of Córdoba, claimed 46 lives and raised concerns about the safety of the rail network.

Spain’s high-speed rail network is the second-largest in the world, after China’s, and comprises around 3,900 kilometers of lines. The death toll remains provisional as authorities continue searching the wreckage and identifying the victims.