At least 64 people were killed on Wednesday when two high-speed trains collided in Spain’s central province of Toledo, forcing the suspension of rail services linking Madrid with Ciudad Real and Andalusia. Emiliano Garcia-Page, leader of the Castilla-La Mancha region, told AFP the toll was “probably going to grow even more.”
Public broadcaster TVE reported that the two trains were travelling in the same direction when one hit the rear of the other, derailing two carriages. Officials in the nearby town of Urda were asked to prepare a sports pavilion to receive the injured and others affected.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he was “shocked” by the crash and was in constant contact with the transport minister and regional authorities as emergency services worked at the scene. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also offered her government’s support to Spain.
The collision comes months after a crash in southern Spain in January killed 45 people, renewing concerns over the safety of the country’s extensive high-speed rail network.
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