Spain’s train crash death toll reaches 69 as rescue and identification efforts continue

The death toll from Wednesday’s train collision in central Spain has risen to 69, according to Castilla-La Mancha regional president Emiliano García-Page, while rescue and victim-identification efforts continue. Euronews reported that 50 people remained in hospital; the BBC said more than 100 people had been injured, many seriously. The crash occurred when a high-speed Renfe train struck the rear of a stationary Iryo service on the same track near Urda.

At least three carriages were thrown down an embankment by the impact. Rescue teams were still working through the wreckage, using sniffer dogs and cranes to lift damaged carriages, according to Euronews. The Spanish government declared three days of national mourning from Thursday.

The collision has become the country’s second deadly high-speed rail disaster this year, and the BBC described it as the worst rail disaster in Spain since 2013. The scale of the crash has left families searching for missing relatives in hospitals across the region. The BBC reported that the bodies of those killed had been taken to the main forensics institute in Toledo, where relatives were providing DNA samples to assist with identification.

Among those killed was Julieta Gallego, a 24-year-old long-jump athlete who competed for Madrid club AD Sprint. The club said it was heartbroken, while Spain’s athletics federation announced her death. Federation president Raúl Chapado described it as a blow to the athletics community and said Gallego’s life had been unjustly extinguished.

Former employment minister Fátima Báñez, 59, was also among the victims, according to the BBC. Báñez served in Mariano Rajoy’s government from 2011 to 2018 and was the first woman to hold the employment-minister role. She later chaired the Spanish Confederation of Business Organizations, which paid tribute to her warmth, generosity and commitment.

The Civil Guard confirmed the death of its officer José Manuel Chacón, 31. The BBC also reported the death of finance and tax lawyer Antonio Montero Domínguez, whose passing was confirmed by Spain’s tax authority. The reports identified the victims through statements from their clubs, organisations and former colleagues.

King Felipe VI visited a hospital in Toledo treating survivors, Euronews reported. He was greeted by hospital staff and people outside before entering the building. Opposition People’s Party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo visited the crash scene, while emergency workers continued clearing debris.

The disaster has raised renewed questions about railway safety because it follows another collision involving Renfe and Iryo trains on the same line in January, when 46 people were killed, according to Euronews. The latest crash has also disrupted rail travel: the high-speed route between Madrid and Seville was closed, leaving thousands of passengers seeking alternative transport. The collision occurred four weeks before a national election, adding a national political dimension to the response.

The supplied reports do not identify a confirmed cause or assign responsibility, and the continuing rescue and identification operations mean the full circumstances remain under investigation.