Spain's deadliest train crash in a decade kills at least 30

Two passenger trains travelling toward the same destination collided in central Spain on Wednesday, leaving at least 30 people dead and raising fresh concerns about the country's rail safety record.

The crash occurred in Toledo province, in a rural area between the towns of Urda and Los Yebenes. One train struck the stationary vehicle ahead of it, forcing two passenger cars off the tracks and mangling one carriage into twisted metal and debris that scattered across a gravel embankment.

Spain's rail operator ADIF confirmed the collision involved services run by state-owned RENFE and private operator IRYO, both heading from Madrid toward Seville. The RENFE train carried 397 passengers; the IRYO service had 147 aboard.

Initial reports from regional authorities put the death toll at 10, but Esther Padilla, spokeswoman for the Castilla La Mancha region, cautioned that "that number will surely rise". Spanish state news agency EFE and other outlets later reported the figure had climbed to at least 30.

Spanish health minister Monica Garcia said rescue teams were concentrating on extracting survivors and recovering bodies from the two most severely damaged cars, with injured passengers transported to hospitals across the region. "It was a high-speed impact, so we are expecting this to be a tragedy," Garcia told state broadcaster TVE.

The cause remains unclear, Padilla said. Rail services between Madrid, Ciudad Real and Andalusia were halted following the incident.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez scrapped his scheduled commitments to address the crisis. On social media, he wrote that he was "dismayed by the serious train accident in Toledo" and said his thoughts were with those affected and their families.

Local officials mobilised resources to help. The mayor of Urda, Manuel Galan, said authorities had requested his town prepare a sports hall to accommodate injured passengers. Military personnel joined emergency responders, firefighters and police at the scene.

IRYO issued a statement saying it had "activated its security protocols and is closely working with authorities".

The disaster marks the second major rail accident in Spain this year. A January collision in the south killed 45 people when one train derailed and struck an oncoming service. That crash was Spain's deadliest since 2013, when 80 people died in a rail accident.