Rail Crash Toll Hits 69 as Command Center Issues Speedy Restart Order

Sixty-nine people are confirmed dead following a high-speed train collision in central Spain, according to regional leader Emiliano García-Page. The figure represents a provisional count as search teams with sniffer dogs continued their work on Thursday morning.

The collision occurred in the province of Toledo near the town of Urda. One train struck another from behind, tossing at least three carriages onto a gravel slope. Cranes shifted the wreckage while police and soldiers sorted through debris.

García-Page stated that 50 people remain hospitalized. He noted that identification teams are working to match body parts with remains found overnight. "Besides bodies, there are body parts that need to be identified," he said.

Spain’s government declared three days of mourning starting Thursday. The incident marks the second deadly high-speed rail disaster in the country this year. The first occurred in January in southern Spain, killing 46 people when a train jumped the track.

Both crashes happened on the same rail line connecting Madrid and Seville. Each involved a train operated by state-owned RENFE and a privately owned IRYO service. Spain liberalized its high-speed rail market in 2021, with IRYO beginning operations the following year.

Transport Minister Óscar Puente attributed the crash to an order from a central command center. He described the decision as "inexplicable" after a security system failure. Puente said engineers were not at fault.

According to Puente, a computer malfunction stopped a security system on a 63-kilometer stretch at 8:30 a.m. This forced all trains to stop. An IRYO train halted near Urda, while a RENFE train stopped 25 kilometers behind it.

Minutes later, the central command told the RENFE train to resume movement without speed restrictions. The train collided with the stationary IRYO train at 8:53 a.m. Puente argued the train should have remained stopped or moved at reduced speed because a stop signal was still active.

Global Affairs Canada confirmed that six Canadian citizens were injured in the crash. A seventh Canadian remains unaccounted for. The department cited privacy reasons for not releasing details on the severity of injuries.

The crash occurred four weeks before the national election scheduled for November 29. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited the site on Wednesday. He pledged to reinforce safety measures to rebuild trust in the rail network. "It is not acceptable for a country like Spain to endure two high-speed train accidents in the same year," Sánchez said.

Political rivals used the tragedy to frame their campaign messages. Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of the People's Party, demanded a full investigation. His party cancelled campaign events for the day. Santiago Abascal of Vox, a far-right group seeking a coalition with conservatives, promised to work until the current government faced a courtroom for its actions.