The two trains were carrying 544 people when they collided in Toledo: 397 on the Renfe service and 147 on the Iryo train. At least 68 people died. Castilla-La Mancha president Emiliano García-Page said 24 of the fatalities were on the Renfe train, with the other victims on the Iryo service. Regional officials also reported 107 people hospitalized, including 18 in serious condition. Casualty figures remained provisional.
The identified victims include José Manuel, a Civil Guard officer who was travelling on one of the trains, and Antonio Montero Domínguez, a recognised tax inspector and specialist in fiscal matters.
A previous toll report recorded 68 deaths; the account identifying the victims gives the figure as at least 68.
Both trains had left Madrid bound for Seville. The collision happened at about 8:30 a.m., after the Iryo train had stopped on the track while waiting to enter the station at Urba. The crash occurred on 28 October on the Madrid-Seville high-speed corridor near Urda, in Toledo province. A communications or computer fault had disabled the LZB continuous-supervision system, leaving Adif staff at Madrid’s Atocha control centre to manage train movements manually.
The account says the crash appeared to have resulted from human error. Transport Minister Óscar Puente pointed to possible decision-making failures at the Atocha control centre. He said the Renfe train was expected to stop and could not resume normal movement, describing the authorization for it to proceed as “inexplicable.” Reports said the Renfe train was cleared to move while the Iryo service remained ahead on the line. The Civil Guard questioned the Adif controller involved as part of its investigation. Authorities were examining why the Iryo train stopped and whether procedures for operating with the LZB system unavailable were followed. The account does not establish a confirmed cause.
The Guardia Civil confirmed José Manuel’s death and expressed condolences to his relatives and colleagues. Tributes to Montero Domínguez came from colleagues in his profession and at the Lefebvre publishing house. Economist Francisco de la Torre was among the professionals mentioned.
