At Least 10 Dead as Two High-Speed Trains Collide in Spain

At least 10 people died Wednesday when two high-speed trains struck each other in central Spain, regional officials said. "That number will surely rise," said Esther Padilla, spokeswoman for the Castilla La Mancha region.

The collision happened just after 9 a.m. local time (5 a.m. ET) on the stretch of track between the towns of Mora and Orgaz in Toledo province, ADIF, the manager of Spain's state-owned railway infrastructure, said in a statement. The trains involved were a Renfe service and an Iryo train that had been traveling from Madrid to Seville. ADIF said two Iryo wagons left the rails. A government spokesperson for Castilla La Mancha told Reuters the cause of the crash and the counts of dead and injured were still being determined.

ADIF said the line linking Madrid with the southern Andalusia region was suspended after the crash. Manuel Galan, mayor of the town of Urda near Toledo, told Spanish state broadcaster TVE that emergency services asked him to prepare a sports hall to take in the injured.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he was "deeply saddened by the serious train accident in Toledo." He said emergency services "are working on-site to assist those affected and ensure their safety, in coordination with all relevant authorities." Sanchez also wrote on X: "My heartfelt sympathy, solidarity, and support go out to all the victims and their families."

Spain has the largest high-speed rail network in Europe for trains moving more than 155 mph, with more than 1,900 miles of track, according to the European Union. In January, 45 people died in southern Spain when a train left the track and hit an oncoming train, the deadliest such event in the country since a 2013 crash that killed 80 people.

ADIF said in its statement on X that service on the Madrid to Andalusia route had been suspended. Officials in Castilla La Mancha said the number of dead and injured was still being determined.