In brief
A collision between a Renfe high‑speed train and a stationary Iryo carriage near Urda in Toledo province on 28 October killed 68 people and left hundreds injured. Two South Korean nationals were among the wounded; one recovered, the other remains hospitalized. Spanish authorities are probing a computer‑system failure that allowed the trains to travel without speed restrictions.
On the morning of Wednesday, Oct. 28, a Renfe AVE high‑speed train traveling from Madrid to Seville struck the rear of a stationary Iryo carriage near the small town of Urda in Toledo province, south of Madrid, derailing two carriages and killing at least 68 passengers.
The crash occurred on a high‑speed line that connects the capital with the southern city of Seville; the trains had been traveling in the same direction when the Renfe train hit the back of the Iryo carriage, causing two carriages to derail and roll over into an embankment, witnesses said.
At least 68 people died and more than 90 were injured, including an estimated 50 serious cases and 15 critical cases. A total of 11 South Korean passengers were confirmed aboard the trains involved in the accident, authorities said. One of the two injured Korean passengers sustained minor injuries and was discharged from the hospital after receiving treatment, while the other remains hospitalized, the South Korean foreign ministry added.
Our embassy in Spain is maintaining close contact with local authorities and continuing to check for any additional Korean casualties, the ministry said, calling the incident a tragic loss of life and an “unacceptable tragedy” for the Korean community.
Spanish authorities are investigating a possible computer failure that allowed the Renfe train to proceed without speed restrictions despite a red signal in the control centre. Transport Minister Óscar Puente told reporters that the control centre had decided to allow the train to move again, “under inexplicable circumstances,” after a prior computer glitch paused six moving trains on a 40-mile stretch of track.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, speaking from Urda, said the government would declare three days of official mourning from Oct. 29 to 31. “Spain is in mourning,” he said. “We will get to the bottom of this, and if there was negligence, it will be revealed, and if there were system failures, there will be a strong response.”
“Spain is in mourning,” said Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
Castilla‑La Mancha regional government spokesperson Esther Padilla told Spanish television that the trains were traveling in the same direction, with the Renfe locomotive striking the rear of the stationary Iryo carriage, causing the derailment.
Local officials reported that more than 200 members of the Military Emergencies Unit were on the scene, and the town council of Los Yebenes had gathered food and basic supplies for those affected. The regional government declared a three‑day mourning period simultaneously with the national declaration.
Rail service on the Madrid‑Seville line will remain suspended for at least two days, Renfe said, as crews work into the night under flood lights to locate any passengers still trapped in the wreckage. Iryo said its train was “struck from behind” by a Renfe train, a statement echoed by Spanish officials.
Trade union CSIF called on Transport Minister Puente to resign following his comments about the computer failure, saying that “they demand that the Government respect the investigation and the presumption of innocence for the head of traffic at Adif.” Policing forces later clashed with protestors at the scene, with crowds demanding the resignation of officials linked to the crash.
The incident adds to a year in which Spain faced two major train accidents; the government said the causes of the two crashes appeared unrelated. Spanish authorities have begun investigations into signalling failures and possible negligence, while the Korean foreign ministry continues to monitor the situation and maintain contact with local authorities.
