Spain train crash: death toll rises to 69 as investigators focus on a signalling failure and a control-room order

Illustrative image: railway tracks. Photo: Nick Fewings / Unsplash (Unsplash License). Not the line where the crash happened.

The death toll from Wednesday’s collision between two high-speed trains near Urda, in Spain’s Toledo province, rose to 69 on Thursday, October 29, according to Castilla-La Mancha’s regional president, Emiliano García-Page. Investigators are focusing on a failure of the line’s LZB train-protection system and on the order from the Atocha control centre in Madrid that allowed a Renfe AVE train to continue towards a stationary Iryo train.

Victims and injured

García-Page gave the figure of 69 dead at about 10:45 local time on Thursday, one more than Wednesday night’s provisional count of 68, which Al Jazeera also reported. He said 110 people had been admitted to hospitals in the region, of whom 60 had already been discharged and 50 remained in hospital, 15 of them in critical condition. In Madrid, regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso said 98 injured people had been treated, four of them in intensive care.

The Renfe train was carrying 397 passengers and the Iryo train 147, according to the regional government. Spain’s Foreign Ministry said 42 foreign nationals from seven countries were involved; one Argentine citizen died. The Civil Guard has received 64 missing-person reports in Madrid, Seville, Córdoba and Toledo, but officials stressed these are not additional victims on top of the 69 dead. The forensic institute in Toledo had received 52 bodies by Thursday morning and has begun identification, taking DNA samples from relatives. Authorities warned families about fake text messages claiming to announce identifications.

What investigators are examining

Transport Minister Óscar Puente said the LZB system went down at about 08:30 on Wednesday along a 63-kilometre stretch, stopping six trains. Control passed to the Atocha post, which authorised the Renfe train to resume “normally”. According to the initial reconstruction, the AVE travelled about 25 kilometres before hitting the rear of the Iryo train, which had stopped on the same track. Two Iryo carriages fell down an embankment. Puente called the circumstances “inexplicable”.

Recordings published by Spanish media suggest the AVE driver was told to proceed at normal speed rather than “on sight”, while the Iryo driver had reported problems restarting her train. Iryo says its train stopped because it received no instruction to move; the government says it did. Train drivers’ union Semaf said degraded-mode operation should not be routine. No official cause has been established, and the Civil Guard has sent a disaster investigation team.

Mourning and disruption

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez declared three days of official mourning from October 29 to 31 and said a “strong response” would follow if system failures were found. Madrid and Andalusia declared their own mourning periods. Minutes of silence were held at noon in courts, ministries and Renfe workplaces. The UME military emergency unit worked through the night to cut and lift carriages.

High-speed services between Madrid and Andalusia remain suspended. Renfe is running trains on the conventional line from Atocha to Ciudad Real. A 24-hour Renfe strike called by Semaf went ahead on Thursday with 73% minimum service on high-speed routes.

The crash comes nine months after another high-speed accident on the Madrid–Andalusia corridor that killed 46 people, Al Jazeera reported. Sánchez said it was unacceptable for Spain to suffer two such accidents in one year.

Confirmed and pending

Confirmed: 69 dead (regional government), the LZB failure and the Atocha authorisation. Pending: the identities of the victims, the final number of injured, the official cause and when the line will reopen. Our first report is here.

Sources

• Libertad Digital — Live: second day after the Urda crash (Oct 29, 2026)
• El Diario Alerta — Urda rail tragedy: 69 dead, 64 missing-person reports (Oct 29, 2026)
• Benavente Digital — Urda: 69 dead and 60 injured discharged (Oct 29, 2026)
• Al Jazeera — Train crash in Spain kills at least 68 people (Oct 28, 2026)

Mary del Castillo · International · Virtual editorial byline
English adaptation: Lin Wei · Editorial direction: Leonidas Ferraz · October 29, 2026 · AI-assisted writing