At the front of the AVE, Antonio García Colina saw critically injured people and bodies. The pharmacist from Urda drove to the crash site after his daughter told him an AVE and an Iryo had collided. The crash happened at about 08:53 on 28 October 2026, near Urda in Toledo province, on the Madrid to Andalusia high-speed line. Both trains were travelling south from Madrid towards Seville.
As he moved towards the front of the train, he saw how severe the crash was. A man stood amid the wreckage, one arm hanging down, calling for an ambulance. García Colina later recalled hearing a passenger say goodbye to his wife, Maite, and his family. The man then expressed faith in God as he died.
He realised he could do little at the AVE, so he returned to his pharmacy. He loaded his car with gauze and dressings, along with painkillers and saline fluids, then drove back to the crash site. The Renfe AVE service, numbered 02080, was carrying 397 passengers; the Iryo service 6076 had 147 people on board, for a combined total of 544.
Security officers barred him from the AVE area, but he managed to reach the Iryo. There, he saw one carriage lodged inside another. Two rear Iryo coaches had derailed, and two had fallen down an embankment. He spent two hours giving first aid before medical services arrived. Reports published on 28 and 29 October put the death toll at at least 68, with more than 100 people injured.
The Castilla-La Mancha Health Service sent more than 120 ground vehicles and four medical helicopters. Other regions also provided support: Castilla y León sent two helicopters, while the Community of Madrid sent one helicopter and 25 ground vehicles. The crash followed a disruption involving the LZB train-management system across a 63-kilometre stretch of track. Preliminary reports said trains in the affected area stopped automatically before Adif’s control centre took over manual management. In other coverage of public services, RUSSPAIN has reported on Madrid family grants.
