High-speed trains collide south of Madrid; authorities report 50 dead

Spanish authorities announced on Wednesday that the death toll from a collision between two high-speed trains south of Madrid has risen to 50.

In the hours after the incident, a spokeswoman for the authorities of Castilla-La Mancha said the initial toll indicated at least ten dead, with the figure likely to rise in the coming hours.

Meanwhile, the mayor of Orda, Manuel Galán, told Spanish state television that the collision had occurred and that there were a large number of injured at the scene, according to reported remarks.

A spokesman for Spain’s emergency services said the collision happened just before 9 a.m. local time, and confirmed that authorities had mobilized “all available resources,” including firefighting teams, three air ambulances and two mobile intensive care units to assist the injured.

The Spanish railway infrastructure manager, Adif, announced a full suspension of train services on the high-speed line linking Madrid with the south of the country until further notice.

The incident comes less than a year after a similar collision in the Adamuoth area of southern Spain that killed 46 people.