A high-speed train crashed into the back of another train that had stopped, derailing two carriages and killing at least 30 people on Wednesday in central Spain, authorities said. The regional president of Castilla La Mancha, Emiliano García-Page, said at least 30 people died in the accident and warned that the death toll could rise. He added that at least 80 people were injured. 1:29 Barcelona train crash kills 1, injures 37 passengers, days after deadly collision in Spain Previous video Next video Story continues below advertisement It was the second major train accident in Spain this year. The Spanish railway system operator, ADIF, said the accident occurred on Wednesday morning in the province of Toledo. The train service between Madrid, Ciudad Real and Andalusia was suspended. Esther Padilla, spokesperson for the Castilla La Mancha region, told state broadcaster TVE that the accident occurred between two high-speed trains carrying hundreds of passengers and heading in the same direction from the capital, Madrid, to Seville in southwestern Spain. One collided with the tail of the other, which had stopped, knocking down two of its cars. He said the cause of the accident is unknown. The accident, which occurred on a flat stretch surrounded by fields between the towns of Urda and Los Yébenes, left a car smashed into pieces of metal and other materials, scattering debris across a gravel slope. Emergency services work at the scene of a collision between two trains in Urda, Spain, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026. AP Photo/Manu Fernandez Spanish Health Minister Monica Garcia told TVE that emergency workers were focusing on rescuing survivors and bodies from the two most damaged train cars. He said that the injured are being transferred to different hospitals in the area. “It was a high-speed impact, so we hope this is a tragedy,” Garcia said. Get the latest national news Get the latest Canadian news delivered to your inbox as it happens so you don’t miss any breaking news. The accident involved a train belonging to the Spanish state company RENFE and the private railway company IRYO. Apparently, the RENFE train collided with the IRYO train, Spanish media reported. García-Page said 24 died on the RENFE train and six on the IRYO train. Trains from those two companies were also involved in a fatal accident in January. Padilla said 397 passengers were on the RENFE train and 147 passengers were on the IRYO train. IRYO, an Italian-owned company, said in a statement that it has “activated its security protocols and is working closely with the authorities.” More on trends More videos The mayor of the nearby town of Urda, Manuel Galán, told Spanish state broadcaster TVE that civil protection authorities had asked his town hall to prepare a sports hall to care for injured passengers. A military emergency brigade was deployed to assist emergency services, firefighters and police. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez canceled his schedule to focus on the accident. He wrote in X that he was “dismayed by the serious train accident in Toledo.” “Emergency services are working on the scene to care for the affected passengers,” wrote Sánchez, who faces a national election next month. “All my thoughts are with the victims and their families.” King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain said in a brief statement on X that they were following news of the accident. “We are deeply saddened and concerned by the train accident in Urda (Toledo),” the royal couple said. “We share the pain of the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives, and we send our sincerest support to the injured and all those affected.” In January, 45 people died in southern Spain when a train left the track and collided with an oncoming train. The crash was the deadliest in Spain since a 2013 crash that killed 80 people. The January incident shook confidence in the European country’s extensive high-speed rail service. Spain is a leader in high-speed railways. In recent decades, Spain has invested heavily in high-speed trains, which the country’s railway union defines as rails for trains that go 250 kph (155 mph) or faster, making it a world leader. Spain has laid some 3,900 kilometers (2,400 miles) of such roads for more than three decades for its 49 million inhabitants. residents. Only China, with 45,000 kilometers (28,000 miles) for its 1.4 billion people, has more high-speed tracks, according to the International Union of Railways. Only recently did Spain open its railway network to private companies to compete with RENFE. Iryo began operating in Spain in 2022. © 2026 The Canadian Press