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A train of the Spanish state operator Renfe heading from Madrid to Seville collided near Toledo shortly before nine o'clock on the morning of Wednesday, 28 October 2026, with a train of the private operator Iryo. According to the British broadcaster BBC, more than 500 people were travelling on the two high-speed trains combined.[1]
According to the server Novinky.cz, 68 people died in the collision and dozens more were injured, with Spanish authorities continuing their investigation and identification of the dead.[2] According to the Spanish daily El País, the collision was caused by an erroneous decision made at the central dispatching office, as stated by Transport Minister Óscar Puente.[1] Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said he was shocked by the accident. Condolences were also sent by Czech President Petr Pavel, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and Foreign Minister Petr Macinka.[1]
The Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs first reported on Wednesday that three Czech citizens might have been travelling on the trains, later clarifying that it concerned a single person, on whose behalf three relatives and acquaintances had contacted the emergency hotline.[2] According to a ministry spokesperson, the Czech citizen was not among the identified victims or the hospitalized. Staff at the Czech embassy in Madrid are in contact with the family and with the Spanish authorities.[1][2]
iDNES.cz recalled that Spain had suffered a similar rail accident earlier in the year, when 45 people died in the south of the country after a derailment and collision with an oncoming train. The deadliest disaster in the country's modern history occurred in 2013 and claimed 80 lives.[1]
Czech citizen among the victims and the aftermath of the accident
On 30 October 2026, the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that a Czech citizen travelling on one of the trains had died in the accident. The death was confirmed on the basis of identification carried out by the Spanish authorities. According to ministry spokesperson Adam Čörgő, the Czech embassy in Madrid is in contact with the deceased's family and is providing consular assistance.[3][4] As early as 28 October, the ministry had stated that a Czech citizen might have been travelling on the train, on whose behalf relatives and acquaintances had contacted the emergency hotline.[4]
According to the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, more than 40 foreign nationals from at least seven countries are among the victims or injured, including citizens of Mexico, Italy and Japan; two foreign victims with Argentine citizenship have been confirmed.[3][4] The British broadcaster BBC reported that Spanish authorities at one point gave a death toll of 74 and later revised it back to 69.[3] As of 30 October, eight families had received official notification of the death of a relative, five people had been identified by fingerprints, and forensic analysts were asking relatives of the missing for DNA samples.[4]
Traffic on the high-speed line from Madrid to Andalusia is suspended in both directions, and the operator Renfe has suspended ticket sales for these trains until December. Service to the south is being maintained via a diversion onto the conventional line and by replacement bus transport; the airlines Iberia and Air Europa have increased flights from Madrid to Málaga and Seville.[4]
Chronology
- — In a collision of Renfe and Iryo trains near Toledo, Spain, at least six people died, while a Czech citizen who was on board does not yet appear among the identified victims. iDNES.cz Novinky.cz
- — A Czech citizen died in the collision of two high-speed trains near Toledo, Spain; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic confirmed this on 30 October, and the embassy in Madrid is in contact with the family. Novinky.cz iDNES.cz
Sources
- iDNES.cz — 29 October 2026
- Novinky.cz
- Novinky.cz — 30 October 2026
- iDNES.cz — 30 October 2026