At Least 39 Dead in Collision Between Two High-Speed Trains in Spain’s Toledo Province

Madrid: Spanish authorities say at least 39 people have died in a crash between two trains in central Spain.

Esther Padilla, spokeswoman for the Castilla La Mancha region, said that authorities can confirm 39 deaths, but that “that number will surely rise.”

Spain’s rail system operator ADIF said the crash occurred Wednesday morning in the province of Toledo. Rail service was suspended between Madrid, Ciudad Real and Andalusia.

Padilla told state broadcaster TVE that the accident was between two high-speed trains heading in the same direction and that one ran into the tail of the other while it was stopped, knocking two of its cars off the track.

The mayor of the nearby town of Urda, Manuel Galán, told Spanish state broadcaster TVE that passengers had been injured and that civil protection authorities had asked his town hall to prepare a sports pavilion to attend to passengers.

The regional president of Castilla La Mancha, Emiliano García-Page, wrote on X that he is on his way to the crash site.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Wednesday (local time) expressed solidarity with the victims and their families after a high-speed train collision in Spain's central province of Toledo killed at least 10 people, with authorities warning that the death toll could rise further.

In a post on X, Sanchez said, “Shocked by the serious train accident in Toledo. I remain in constant contact with the Minister of Transport, @oscar_puente_, and with the president of Castilla-La Mancha, @garciapage.”

“Emergency services are working on the ground to assist those affected and ensure their safety, in coordination with all the involved administrations. My affection, solidarity, and support to all the victims and their families,” he added.

In January, 45 people died in southern Spain when a train jumped the track and hit an oncoming train. The crash was the deadliest in Spain since a 2013 crash that killed 80 people. The January incident shook the confidence the European country has in its extensive high-speed rail network.

ALSO READ: 'I Ended Eight Wars': Trump Reiterates Claim to Have Ended India-Pak Conflict