At least 10 people died and many more were feared injured after two high-speed trains collided in Toledo province in central Spain on Wednesday.
Spain’s state rail infrastructure authority suspended services between Madrid and the southern region of Andalucía following the rear-end collision in the morning.
Esther Padilla, a spokesperson for the regional government of Castilla-La Mancha, confirmed the death toll to local media.
"The information receiving is not good at all," Padilla said, adding that at least 10 people had died and the number could increase.
Government sources told El País that the crash could be worse than the Adamuz rail disaster in January, in which 46 people were killed.
Television footage broadcast by Castilla La Mancha Television showed a derailed train with at least one carriage remaining on an elevated section of track. Twisted metal, broken panels and wreckage were strewn across an embankment beneath the line.
Adif, the rail operator, stated that the collision occurred on the line between Madrid and Seville after a high-speed service reportedly ran into the back of another train, knocking two carriages off the track.
Manuel Galán, the mayor of Urda near the city of Toledo, said emergency services asked him to prepare a sports hall to accommodate the injured.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed shock at the news in a post on X.
"I remain in constant contact with the transport minister, and with the president of Castilla-La Mancha," Sánchez said, adding that emergency services were working on the ground to assist those affected.
Alberto Núñez Feijóo, the leader of the opposition People’s Party, also shared his concern on X, stating that the priority was to attend to the victims and support their families while emergency teams worked on the ground.
