Dozens killed in high-speed train collision in central Spain

Two high-speed trains have collided in Spain, prompting the suspension of the line connecting Madrid to the southern Andalusia region, rail operator Adif said on Wednesday without providing further details.

"Traffic on the Madrid-Andalusia high-speed rail line has been suspended following a rear-end collision between two trains," Adif said in a message posted on X.

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A Renfe and an Iryo train crashed just after 9 am (0800 GMT), causing two Iryo wagons to derail, a government spokesperson for the Castilla La Mancha region said, adding that the cause and number of injuries were still being determined.

Rail operator Adif said the incident occurred between the towns of Mora and Orgaz, and involved a Renfe and an Iryo high speed train travelling from Madrid to Seville.

Manuel Galan, the mayor of Urda near the central city of Toledo, said he had been asked by emergency services to prepare a sports hall to accommodate the injured.

Spanish newspaper El Pais cited witnesses describing numerous injuries and the arrival of emergency medical teams at the scene. Two of the rail cars involved reportedly left the tracks and fell down an embankment, the report added.

In January, 45 people died in southern Spain when a train jumped the track and hit an oncoming train.