In brief
A collision between a Renfe and an Iryo train near Urda on 28 October 2026 killed at least 68 and injured over 100, including two South Korean nationals. Spanish authorities are investigating a computer‑control error, while the Korean foreign ministry confirmed one passenger’s minor injuries and the other’s hospitalization. International leaders have offered condolences.
A high‑speed train collision near Urda in Toledo province, Spain, on Wednesday 28 October resulted in at least 68 deaths and more than 100 injuries, with the South Korean foreign ministry reporting that two nationals were among those hurt.
The accident occurred on the Madrid‑Seville high‑speed line when a Renfe AVE train travelling from Madrid struck the rear of a stationary Iryo carriage. The impact derailed two rear carriages, causing them to roll over into an embankment and killing many passengers on board the two trains, which together carried more than 500 people.
Spanish health officials said roughly 80 people were injured in the crash, about 50 of them seriously and 15 critically, and that emergency services had been working at the scene into the night under flood lights, searching for anyone else trapped in the wreckage.
The Korean foreign ministry confirmed that 11 South Korean passengers were aboard the trains at the time of the collision. It said one of the injured Korean passengers sustained minor injuries and was discharged from the hospital after treatment, while the second remains hospitalized. The ministry added that its embassy in Madrid was maintaining close contact with local authorities and continuing to monitor any additional Korean casualties.
"Today the whole of Spain is grieving," Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said from the collision site, announcing a three‑day period of official mourning from 29 to 31 October. Sanchez warned that investigations would uncover any negligence or system failures responsible for the tragedy.
"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."
Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia stated that injured passengers were being transported to several hospitals in the Castilla‑La Mancha region, where emergency teams were coordinating care for the most severely hurt.
Transport Minister Oscar Puente described the collision as the result of a computer error that caused six moving trains, including the two involved, to pause on a 40‑mile stretch of track. He said the control center decided to allow the Renfe train to depart without speed restrictions despite a remaining red signal, leading to the encounter. Puente called the decision a “clear and inexplicable error” but refrained from linking it directly to the crash.
Foreign Ministry officials in Tokyo said two Japanese nationals may have been aboard the trains involved, and the ministry was checking on their safety. The possibility of Japanese passengers was first reported by Kyodo News, which noted that the passengers’ names appeared on the trains’ lists.
King Felipe VI expressed his sorrow in a statement that day, saying he “shares in the sorrow of the families and loved ones” of those killed. The crisis prompted national mourning and the suspension of rail services between Madrid and the Andalusian region; Renfe announced that the line would remain out of service until freight trains could be cleared.
UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Vice Presidents Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan sent condolence messages to King Felipe VI, the Spanish public, and the families of victims, wishing a swift recovery for the injured. The messages were conveyed through the UAE government’s diplomatic channels and appeared in the local press.
