Collision Between State and Private Trains Kills 68 in Central Spain
Survivors describe the sudden impact near Urda as the second major rail disaster in ten months raises questions about network safety before a general election.
By Bianca Herrera ·
At least 68 people died and dozens more were injured when a state-operated Renfe train struck the rear of a private Iryo train near the town of Urda in Castilla-La Mancha on Wednesday morning. The crash occurred at 8:53 a.m. along a high-speed line connecting Madrid to Seville, amidst vineyards and olive groves in the region surrounding Toledo.
This incident marks the second fatal collision on Spain's high-speed rail network in ten months. The previous disaster, which occurred in Adamuz in January, claimed 46 lives. Together, the two accidents have resulted in a minimum of 114 deaths within a single year.
Josimar Medina, a 37-year-old tourist from Chiclayo, Peru, was traveling in the seventh carriage of the Renfe train. He stated that he woke to find himself airborne, hurtling through the carriage while searching for his girlfriend, Vitoria Maia. Medina noted that both passengers were located in the seventh carriage, a position he believes saved them from the worst of the impact zone.
Medina described the scene as he landed, observing passengers with lacerations, missing limbs, and crushed heads. He wore a light brown T-shirt stained with the blood of a young American man he had helped move to safety. The couple assisted other injured passengers while waiting for medics and Guardia Civil officers to arrive at the site.
Fredrich Barilea, a resident of Dubai originally from the Philippines, was aboard the Iryo train. He recalled a passenger shouting for everyone to exit because another train might strike the wreckage. The Barileas evacuated to a safe distance, where they waited for buses to transport the lightly injured to Urda. Arabella Barilea stated that the table at which they were sitting disappeared during the impact.
Ata Yelkaya, a tourist from Turkey, was napping in the fifth carriage of the Iryo train when the impact occurred. He woke up after hitting his head on the seat in front of him and noticed a cut on the eyebrow of an elderly woman nearby. Yelkaya, who survived the 2023 earthquake in Turkey, remained calm and helped others exit the train. He observed that many passengers were too shocked to panic or scream after seeing the derailed carriages.
Local authorities transformed Urda into an emergency response center, using a local sports facility as a triage post for the walking wounded. Vehicles from emergency services in Castilla-La Mancha and Madrid crowded the streets. Residents rallied to provide food and water to a hall established for people searching for relatives.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited Urda and declared the country in mourning. The transport minister described the conditions leading to the crash as inexplicable. With a snap general election scheduled for next month, voters may express dissatisfaction with the rail network's safety record. The incident has renewed scrutiny of Europe's most modern and extensive high-speed rail system, which has suffered two deadly collisions in a short period.
Survivors remained in shock as they waited in lines to board coaches. Many wore torn and bloodstained clothing, with some sporting bandages on their heads. A woman from Urda who drove people from the crash site to town offered a brief assessment of the repeated trauma. She stated, Mejor no verlo, which translates to it is better not to see something like this.
