Spain search continues for missing after Toledo rail crash
Families wait for news as investigators work the site of the collision that killed 69 people and injured 180.
By Lina Lewis ·
Spain’s rail network has faced a major setback in recent months, but the focus on Thursday shifted to the families waiting for answers. More than 24 hours after two high-speed trains collided in central Spain, at least 69 people have died and dozens have been injured.
The incident occurred on Wednesday near the small town of Urda, south of Madrid. A RENFE train traveling toward Seville struck an Iryo train that had stopped on the tracks. The crash sent 180 people to hospitals or medical treatment, with 110 of those patients transported to medical facilities. The collision marks the second fatal high-speed rail accident in Spain this year, following a January incident in the south that killed 46 people.
César Vicente, an actor from Seville, arrived in Toledo on Thursday to search for his father. His father was seated in 13A on the RENFE train. Vicente spent the night at a religious center that authorities converted into a base for affected families. He described the emotional toll of the search, stating, "I don’t want this to happen to anyone. This is unbearable. This is hell."
Relatives also turned to social media to share details about missing travelers. Alejandra Marroquín posted on Instagram that her sister Adriana, who was wearing dark blue clothes, was in car 8 of the RENFE train. Marroquín said on Thursday morning that they were still praying and had not received any news. Search teams using sniffer dogs continued to comb the area for victims.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez told reporters that the government is working to support families and improve security. "The entire government is working to respond to the victims’ families, shed light on the tragedy, and strengthen security so that this never happens again," Sánchez said. He emphasized the need to understand the cause of the disaster.
The local community in Urda, a town of approximately 2,500 residents, provided immediate assistance. David Gómez, a construction worker, told the newspaper El País that he and his colleagues ran to the scene after hearing the crash. They cut through fences to reach injured passengers and used first-aid kits until emergency services arrived. Residents also helped unharmed passengers by driving them to a nearby sports pavilion.
The region of Castilla-La Mancha saw a surge in volunteers, with more than 2,000 people offering help. Authorities also called for blood donations, and the region’s president, Emiliano García-Page, noted an all-time record in donations. García-Page thanked the 1,300 emergency service personnel who were mobilized for the response. The high-speed rail network, the second largest in the world after China’s, had not suffered a deadly crash since it began operating more than 30 years ago until this year.
