Train Collision in Spain Leaves 6 South Korean Passengers with Minor Injuries; "Checking for Additional Casualties" (Updated)

397 and 147 Passengers Aboard the Two Trains, Respectively
Another Accident Just Nine Months After Train Disaster That Killed 46

Six Korean passengers were confirmed to have suffered minor injuries in a train collision near Toledo, south of the Spanish capital, Madrid.

According to Yonhap News Agency on the 28th (local time), Lim Su-seok, South Korea's ambassador to Spain, said, "There were six Korean nationals aboard the train, and they sustained minor injuries. We are continuing to check whether there are any additional casualties."

Ambassador Lim added, "The accident site is far from the city, so Spanish rescue authorities are transporting the injured from the scene by ambulance, and those with minor injuries are being sent to Urda. A consul and vehicles are on their way to support our nationals with hospital treatment and transportation."

Rescue workers carry out rescue operations at the site of a high-speed train collision in Toledo, Spain, on the 28th (local time). Photo by AFP-Yonhap News.

Earlier that morning, around 9 a.m., a train operated by private railway company Iryo collided with a train operated by state-owned railway company Renfe AVE near Urda, in the Toledo area of the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha. The two trains reportedly collided near Urda, about 120 kilometers south of Madrid, while traveling from Madrid toward Seville in Andalusia. The exact circumstances of the accident and the number of casualties are still being determined.

Major foreign media outlets, citing the government of the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha, reported that at least 30 people had died. However, Britain's Sky News reported at least 39 deaths, while some Spanish media outlets reported 50 deaths and 179 injuries. At the time of the accident, a total of 544 people were reportedly aboard the trains: 397 on the Renfe train and 147 on the Iryo train.

Rescue workers conduct operations at the scene of a high-speed train collision in Toledo, Spain, on the 28th (local time). AFP-Yonhap.

Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia told public broadcaster TVE that rescue workers were focusing on finding survivors in the two most heavily damaged carriages and that the injured were being transported to hospitals. "Given the high-speed collision, a disaster is expected," she said.

Esther Padilla, spokesperson for the government of the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha, said the accident involved two high-speed trains traveling from Madrid to Seville. One train reportedly struck the rear of the other, causing some of the carriages to derail.

A possible error in the transmission of signals has been raised as a potential cause of the accident. Spanish daily El Pais, citing sources, reported that the trailing Renfe train may not have properly received a signal concerning the Iryo train ahead of it.

In the wake of the major disaster, politicians joined in mourning, adjusting their election campaign schedules. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and the leadership of the main opposition People's Party (PP) postponed their scheduled campaign events. King Felipe VI also said in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), "I feel profound sadness and concern over this train accident. I share in the grief of those who have lost loved ones and extend my support to the injured."

The accident occurred nine months after a train collision disaster near Adamuz, in the province of Cordoba, Andalusia, in January that killed 46 people. In the aftermath, repeated criticism was directed at years of insufficient investment in railway maintenance. Spain has Europe's largest high-speed rail network, spanning more than 3,900 kilometers, and the world's second-longest after China.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.