At least 68 people were killed and dozens were injured when two high-speed trains collided near Urda in Spain’s Toledo province on Wednesday, October 28, prompting a major rescue operation and an investigation into a failure in the signal system.
The crash happened shortly before 9 a.m. on the Madrid–Andalusia route. A Renfe train struck an Iryo train that had stopped on the track. Several carriages left the rails.
Transport Minister Óscar Puente said a computer communications fault had disrupted the LZB safety system and stopped trains in the area. He said the control centre then gave the Renfe train permission to resume normal travel, even though a red signal remained and the Iryo train was still ahead on the line. Puente called that decision inexplicable.
The precise cause of the disaster has not been established. Investigators are examining the sequence of events. Emergency crews searched the wreckage and treated survivors as hospitals received injured passengers.
The collision also halted high-speed service between Madrid and Andalusia. Officials worked to assist victims and their families.