Renfe and Iryo trains collide again in Spain, killing 69
The crash in Castilla-La Mancha is the second fatal incident on the Madrid to Seville line in nine months, bringing the total death toll to 115.
By Javier Sanders ·
A high-speed train operated by state-owned Renfe slammed into the rear of a stationary Iryo service on the outskirts of Urda in Castilla-La Mancha on Wednesday at 8:53 a.m. The collision killed 69 people and injured more than 100, marking the second deadly derailment on Spain's rail network in less than a year.
The incident occurred on the same Madrid to Seville route as the January 18 disaster near Adamuz, where an Iryo train derailed and was struck by an oncoming Renfe train. That earlier crash claimed 46 lives. The two accidents have now resulted in a combined total of 115 fatalities, severely damaging public confidence in the country's high-speed rail system.
Local residents rushed to the tracks to assist survivors, while municipal buildings were quickly converted into triage centers. Passengers waited in long lines for chartered buses to continue their journeys, many still carrying luggage and showing visible signs of injury. Josimar Medina, a Peruvian passenger, helped pull an American named Austin Hartman from the wreckage. Medina said he saw severe injuries, including mutilated limbs, as he exited the train.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez stated that public trust in the high-speed system has been broken. With a snap general election scheduled for next month, his coalition is moving to rebuild the network. Critics argue the government had eight years to invest in safety before these consecutive failures occurred.
Transport Minister Oscar Puente resigned on Tuesday evening. He acknowledged that neither the country nor he could bear 100 deaths in less than a year. Puente rejected allegations of mismanagement and maintained that the railway system remains safe and reliable.
Political tensions are rising as the election approaches. Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of the conservative People's Party, accused the Sánchez administration of failing to keep Spaniards safe and using the tragedy for political gain. The far-right Vox party urged the supreme court to investigate Puente for manslaughter and gross negligence, citing a lack of maintenance investment.
Austin Hartman, a student at Cal Poly State University who was studying in Madrid, is being treated in a Spanish hospital for multiple fractures to his pelvis, hip, femur, humerus, and rib. He is expected to remain in the hospital for at least two months. His stepmother, Sandi, said the family video-called Medina and his girlfriend, Vitoria Maia, to express gratitude. She noted that Austin credits Medina with saving his life.
