Death Toll In Spain Train Collision Rises To 30

A high-speed train collision south of Madrid killed at least 30 people on Wednesday, regional authorities told AFP in an updated toll as Spain reeled from its second such disaster this year.

The toll from government sources in the central region of Castilla-La Mancha comes after a collision between two high-speed trains in southern Spain in January resulted in the deaths of 46 people.

The update comes after a regional government spokeswoman said the collision killed at least 10 people, warning the toll could rise.

“The information we are receiving is not good at all. There are at least 10 dead and it is possible that the number will increase,” Esther Padilla, spokeswoman for the government of Castilla-La Mancha, told local media CMM.

Local authorities said the crash resulted in injuries to numerous people.

“Two trains have collided — there are people injured,” Manuel Galan, mayor of the town of Urda, told public broadcaster TVE.

A spokesperson for the Spanish emergency services told AFP the trains collided just before 9:00 am (0800 GMT) but added it was too early to speak of injuries.

“All resources are currently being deployed,” the spokesperson said, including “several fire crews, three helicopters, and two mobile intensive care units”.

Rail infrastructure company ADIF also confirmed a collision had taken place, warning in a social media post that the high-speed rail line from Madrid to the south had been suspended.