68 dead as Renfe train slams into stopped Iryo near Urda, Spain

A Renfe high-speed train slammed into the back of a stopped Iryo train near Urda, in Toledo province, on Wednesday, October 28, 2026. The regional government of Castilla-La Mancha now counts 68 dead, up from the 64 reported earlier in the morning. Officials said the number could still rise while crews work through the wreckage.

Stopped Iryo train was hit while nearly motionless

Emergency services received the alert at about 8:45 a.m. local time, and the impact is recorded at 8:54 a.m. The Iryo train was stopped or moving at very low speed when the Renfe AVE struck it from behind, according to officials at the scene. Guardia Civil data indicate the Iryo had been standing on the track for five to 10 minutes before the collision.

Rescue teams, ambulances, fire trucks, police cars and helicopters took part in the operation. Two Iryo carriages left the rails, and several Renfe carriages tipped over after derailing. More than 500 passengers were on the two trains.

Location, toll and injuries at the Urda crash site

• Location: Urda, Toledo province, Castilla-La Mancha, about 40 miles from Madrid
• Dead: 68 in total, with 24 on the Renfe train according to García-Page, and the rest on the Iryo train
• Injured: the figures differ. The transport minister reported 50, while the forward command post cited about 179, with 50 in serious condition

Minister says a controller’s wrong order preceded the crash

Óscar Puente, Spain’s Minister of Transport, said a control system failure had stopped six trains, and that a wrong order from a controller allowed the Renfe train to continue despite a red signal. Between 8:36 and 8:52 a.m., the Renfe train covered about 25 kilometres at roughly 200 km/h before hitting the Iryo train. Puente called the sequence inexplicable.

No official cause has been announced. The Spanish press has raised the possibility of human error, but authorities have not confirmed it. Iryo said its train was struck from behind and that the cause was still unknown.

Investigation opened by a court and a rail safety commission

The Juzgado de Instrucción número 2 de Orgaz took over the judicial investigation, and the Consejo General del Poder Judicial offered it additional staff. The rail accident investigation commission, known as CIAIAF, has also opened an inquiry. Renfe announced free changes and cancellations for affected passengers.

The crash is the second deadly collision involving Renfe and Iryo this year. On January 18, 2026, a train crash at Adamuz, in Córdoba province, killed between 45 and 46 people. Urda lies on the same Madrid–Seville line, and the union Semaf had warned in 2025 about vibration and wear on high-speed sections.

Madrid–Andalusia line suspended and DNA collected from relatives

The Guardia Civil opened four offices in Spanish cities to identify the victims and collect DNA from relatives. Authorities in Andalusia and Seville declared three days of official mourning. Departures from Santa Justa station in Seville were affected by the suspension.

Officials have not said how long the Madrid–Andalusia high-speed line will remain closed, and the number of hospitalised injured has not been released.