Spain Train Collision Kills 69 as Families Search for Missing Relatives

At least 69 people died in a collision between two high-speed trains in central Spain on Wednesday, while 180 others sustained injuries.

Authorities confirmed that 110 of the injured were transported to hospitals for treatment. The crash involved a RENFE train and an Iryo train that had stopped on the tracks.

The incident occurred in the Castilla-La Mancha region, south of Madrid. Families began searching for missing loved ones on Thursday, more than 24 hours after the collision.

César Vicente, an actor from Seville, traveled 307 miles to Toledo to find his father. He described the search as unbearable and called the situation hell.

Vicente spent the night at a religious center that served as a base for affected families. He was accompanied by his mother and aunt, who were also searching for him.

Relatives used social media to post details about missing passengers, including clothing descriptions and seat numbers. Alejandra Marroquín reported that her sister Adriana, wearing dark blue clothes, was in car 8 of the RENFE train.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez stated that the government was working to support victims' families and improve security. He noted that the entire government was focused on the response.

This is the second deadly high-speed rail disaster in Spain this year. In January, 46 people died when a train jumped the track in southern Spain.

The Spanish high-speed rail network is the second-largest in the world, behind China. It had not experienced a fatal crash since it began operating more than 30 years ago.

Residents of Urda, a town of 2,500 people near the crash site, helped with the rescue efforts. Construction worker David Gómez said he and colleagues used first-aid kits until emergency services arrived.

More than 2,000 volunteers registered in Castilla-La Mancha following the crash. Regional president Emiliano García-Page thanked the 1,300 emergency personnel who were mobilized.

García-Page also expressed gratitude for the record number of blood donations. Search teams with sniffer dogs continued looking for victims on Thursday.