The crash occurred between Urda and Los Yébenes, in Toledo province, when a train travelling from Madrid towards Seville struck the rear of another that had stopped on the same track. Two carriages were knocked off the rails, one of them torn apart, with twisted metal and debris scattered down a gravel embankment. Aerial footage shows the damaged trains surrounded by firefighters, police and rescue teams in a flat, rural landscape. Castilla-La Mancha government spokeswoman Esther Padilla confirmed 10 deaths but warned that the toll was likely to rise.

The collision involved a RENFE train carrying 397 passengers and an IRYO service with 147 people on board. The cause remains unknown. Emergency workers concentrated on reaching victims in the two worst-damaged carriages, while injured passengers were taken to nearby hospitals. A military emergency unit was deployed, and rail services between Madrid, Ciudad Real and Andalusia were suspended.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez cancelled his engagements to focus on the disaster. It was Spain's second major rail tragedy of 2026, following a January collision in southern Spain that killed 45 people. That earlier accident had already raised concerns about safety on the country's extensive high-speed rail network.