Passengers who survived Wednesday’s collision of two high-speed trains in the province of Toledo describe shock, panic and anger. According to the BBC, accounts from survivors describe the moments after a Renfe train slammed into a stationary Iryo train.
The collision happened on Wednesday, 28 October, at 8:54 a.m. near the town of Urda, on the Madrid–Seville high-speed line. An AVE Renfe train struck the stopped Iryo train from behind. Some carriages derailed, and some rolled down an embankment. For details of the findings, see our article on the rising death toll of the Toledo crash.
What the survivors say
IBTimes quotes 54-year-old medical consultant Jesús Jerónimo, who was travelling for work to Seville. He was working on his laptop in the second carriage of the Renfe train when a sudden jolt threw him into the seat in front of him. He described passengers being thrown around the carriage. According to the BBC, other people involved in the accident speak of shock and panic, as well as anger over what happened.
The British outlet Olive Press, which reported from the scene, writes about people who were climbing out of the wreckage, passing injured people and bodies, and hearing the cries of those trapped. This is a media account, not an official statement from the emergency services.
Death toll and state of the investigation
The regional government of Castilla-La Mancha reported that at least 64 people died, including 40 on the Iryo train and 24 on the AVE. Some media outlets, including CNBC, later reported 68 deaths. The figures differ, and the toll may still rise. According to the authorities, there were 544 passengers on board: 397 on the Renfe train and 147 on the Iryo train.
Transport Minister Óscar Puente said the traffic control system in the Urda area failed, six trains were stopped, and one was allowed to proceed. It covered about 25 km before it hit the stationary train. Puente called this „inexplicable.” Iryo said its train was struck from behind and that the cause is „still unknown.” We covered press hypotheses in our article on the possible cause of the Toledo collision.
A second such incident this year
According to Newsweek and CNBC, this is the second major disaster on this route this year. In January, 45–46 people died near Adamuz in the province of Córdoba, and Iryo and Renfe trains were also involved in that incident. The line to Andalusia remains closed to traffic.
What it means
For people planning to travel to Andalusia by train: high-speed connections south from Madrid are suspended, so it is worth checking the status of your booking with the operator. As of publication, no official cause of the collision has been given, and there is no information about Polish victims.
