Spain train crash kills at least 68 as witnesses describe devastating scenes

By Sophie Tanno Pau Mosquera, Catherine Nicholls, Vasco Cotovio, Jack Guy, Benjamin Brown, Sol Amaya, CNN

(CNN) – At least 68 people have been killed in a collision between two trains in the Spanish province of Toledo on Wednesday morning, according to a local government official. The incident is the third rail disaster in Spain this year.

“Several” US citizens were injured in the train crash, a US State Department spokesperson told CNN.

“We can confirm that several US citizens were injured and continue to work with local authorities to identify all Americans involved and provide consular assistance,” the spokesperson said.

They did not provide specific details on the number of Americans hurt in the crash.

A train operated by the state-owned company Renfe and another operated by the company Iryo collided in the central Spanish province of Toledo, between the towns of Mora, Orgaz, and Urda, according to the railway infrastructure manager ADIF.

Both trains were traveling along the route connecting the capital city Madrid with Seville in Spain’s southern Andalusia province. The crash has forced the suspension of the high-speed line linking the Madrid region with Andalusia.

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said he was “shocked by the serious train incident” in Toledo. In a post on X, Sánchez added that emergency services are on the ground to assist those impacted in the crash.

“My affection, solidarity, and support to all the victims and their families,” he said.

An erroneous order from a train controller, following a signaling system failure, resulted in the deadly train crash, according to Spain’s transport minister.

Speaking during a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, Óscar Puente said that a computer failure with the main LZB signalling system triggered an automatic stop for all trains in that area, including the Renfe high-speed train and Iryo train involved in the collision.

The control system for Adif, Spain’s railway infrastructure manager, then took command of the system and a decision was made for the Renfe train to continue its journey and the train was authorized to proceed despite a red signal prohibiting movement remaining in place.

The Iryo train remained stationary on the track around 25 kilometers (16 miles) ahead.

The Renfe train was authorized to proceed without any speed restrictions, meaning that between 8:36 a.m. and 8:52 a.m. local time, it traveled approximately 25 kilometers (16 miles) at a speed of about 200 kilometers per hour (124 miles per hour) before colliding with the Iryo train, Puente said.

The transport minister described the crash as “truly implausible” and said that the control center’s decision to allow the Renfe train to resume its journey while the Iryo train was stopped on the track was “inexplicable.”

The scene at the site of the crash is frantic as a serious rescue operation is underway, according to CNN’s team on the ground in Toledo province.

Dozens of fire trucks, ambulances and police cars are present. At least three helicopters are also at the crash site to assist with operations. Multiple ambulances have come and gone from the cordoned-off area.

Meanwhile, emergency responders are combing through the rubble of some of the heavily damaged carriages of the train operated by Iryo. Several carriages of the state-owned Renfe high-speed train are tilted on their side after coming off the rails.

The Spanish civil guard has set up multiple tents for what amounts to a huge emergency response.

Authorities have moved a bus full of passengers who do not have serious injuries away from the site, and some those passengers told CNN they are now being taken to their original destination of Sevilla.

Passengers described a chaotic scene when their train hit another train on the tracks.

Those being bused away from the crash site included citizens of multiple nationalities, including Spain, Brazil and elsewhere. Staff from the US Embassy in Spain are also at the site.

The Castilla-La Mancha regional government has called for blood donations.

“Donate blood,” reads a post on X. “Today your solidarity is very important.”

The post calls for donations in Alcázar de San Juan, Ciudad Real and Toledo.

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