On Wednesday, an AVE high‑speed train operated by Renfe struck the rear of a stationary Iryo train on the Madrid‑Seville line near Urda in Toledo province, Spain, derailing two carriages and killing at least 68 people while injuring more than a hundred. Two South Korean nationals were hospitalized following the collision, the Seoul foreign ministry said Thursday. Spanish officials are investigating a computer‑control failure that may have allowed the moving train to depart against a red signal, while the country has declared three days of official mourning.
Al Jazeera reports that the collision occurred early on Wednesday, derailing two carriages and causing a surge of casualties: about 80 passengers were injured, with some seriously and 15 critically, according to spokesperson Esther Padilla of the Castilla‑La Mancha government. United Press International (UPI) notes that around 100 more people were injured and rail service between Madrid and Andalusia has been suspended pending investigations.
The Seoul foreign ministry confirmed that 11 South Korean passengers were aboard the trains as of 6:40 a.m. Thursday. One of the two injured passengers sustained minor injuries and was discharged from hospital after treatment, while the other remains hospitalized, the ministry added.
Spanish transport minister Oscar Puente said at a press conference that a rail‑control centre had told the driver of the following Renfe train to depart despite a red signal. He described the centre’s decision as a “clear and inexplicable error” but stopped short of linking it directly to the crash. UPI reports that the control centre had resumed the moving train’s speed on a 40‑mile stretch of track, which then collided with the stationary Iryo train.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, speaking from the scene at Urda, declared three days of national mourning from October 29 to 31. “Spain is in mourning,” he said. “We will get to the bottom of this, and if there was negligence, it will be revealed; if there were system failures, there will be a strong response.”
In a separate statement, King Felipe VI shared his sorrow for those who died, saying he “shares in the sorrow of the families and loved ones” of the victims. UPI reports that the king’s comment was issued later Wednesday.
International leaders offered condolences. The United Arab Emirates’ President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan sent a message to King Felipe VI and the Spanish people, wishing a speedy recovery for the injured. Likewise, Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman expressed deep sympathy to the king, the families of the deceased, and the Spanish people, hoping for a swift recovery of those hurt.
While Spanish investigators examine the system‑fault, officials have confirmed the identity of both trains involved: a Renfe AVE from Madrid to Seville and a private Iryo carriage that had stopped on the same line. The crash on the high‑speed line ran toward Seville, and the collision happened just south of Madrid in Castilla‑La Mancha’s Toledo province.
Rail operator Iryo said it was “struck from behind” by a Renfe train, “due to causes that are still unknown,” as reported by the BBC. The incident has sparked calls from trade union CSIF for the resignation of Transport Minister Puente, alleging that his comments blamed an individual worker for the error while raising concerns about excessive working hours at Adif, Spain’s state railway manager.
The national mourning period has seen the Spanish military and civil agencies working extensive search and rescue operations, while the Ministry of Health has evacuated injured passengers to hospitals across Madrid and Andalusia. As of Thursday, investigations continue into the exact cause of the crash and whether any negligence contributed to the tragedy.
