Rescue workers were searching damaged carriages in central Spain on Wednesday after two high-speed trains collided near Urda, leaving at least 68 people dead, according to an Associated Press report citing the Castilla-La Mancha regional government.
The October 28 collision involved a Renfe AVE service and an Iryo train on the Madrid–Andalusia corridor. Renfe confirmed that its 8 am departure from Madrid Puerta de Atocha to Sevilla Santa Justa was involved in the accident between Los Yébenes and Urda, in Toledo province.
In its October 28 report, AP said 58 people required hospital treatment. This was a hospital-treatment figure reported during the emergency response, rather than a final total of everyone injured.
Rail services halted as emergency plans begin
Renfe said circulation between Madrid, Ciudad Real and Andalucía had been interrupted. The company activated its crisis team and its assistance plan for victims of railway accidents and their families, known by the Spanish acronym PAVAFF.
Its statement placed care for those affected at the centre of the response. Staff were working with emergency services, infrastructure operator Adif and Spain’s transport ministry while the company gathered information about the scale of the accident.
Castilla-La Mancha’s emergency authorities activated the regional PLATECAM plan at 9:15 am for Toledo province. The official notice placed it in Emergency Phase, Operational Situation 1, allowing the authorities to coordinate response teams and deploy an advanced command post.
Support for passengers and families
Europa Press reported that Adif had established assistance points at Madrid-Puerta de Atocha, Sevilla-Santa Justa, Córdoba-Julio Anguita and Málaga-María Zambrano stations. Iryo also activated emergency protocols and said it was cooperating with the authorities.
Andalucía declared official mourning from 2 pm on October 28 until 2 pm on October 31. The regional decree expressed support for the families and relatives of those who died in the Toledo accident.
Iryo said its Madrid–Seville service had been struck from behind by a Renfe train near Urda. It cancelled departures from Madrid-Puerta de Atocha for the southern corridor, said it had no forecast for reopening, and offered affected passengers free ticket changes and cancellations.
Investigators examine the train movements
Spain’s Transport Minister Óscar Puente said the Renfe train had been authorised to move despite a stop signal remaining active, according to AP’s updated report. He said officials were still examining its speed. This is the minister’s preliminary account, rather than a completed investigation or a finding of individual responsibility.
For families, the immediate response centres on identifying and assisting those affected. The transport disruption and the investigation will require separate updates as the authorities release further information. The linked operator and regional-government notices are the primary records used here for the emergency measures.
Sources
- AP via ITV: casualty report, October 28, 2026.
- Renfe: official accident statement.
- Iryo: official accident statement and service cancellations.
- Castilla-La Mancha emergency service: PLATECAM activation.
- Europa Press: operator responses and assistance points.
- Junta de Andalucía: official mourning decree.
AI-assisted report prepared from the linked public sources.
