Spain Train Crash: Families Give DNA Samples As Death Toll Hits 69

Families of passengers involved in Spain’s deadly train collision are providing DNA samples to help identify victims as audio recordings raise questions about conflicting instructions issued by rail controllers before the crash that killed at least 69 people and injured dozens.

The collision occurred shortly before 09:00 local time on Wednesday near Urda, in Toledo, south of Madrid, when a high-speed train operated by state-owned Renfe collided with the rear of a stationary train operated by private company Iryo.

More than 500 passengers were aboard the two trains when the crash occurred, sending at least three carriages of the Iryo train and part of the Renfe train down an embankment.

Spain’s Civil Guard said identifying the dead remained its priority, as authorities appealed to families of missing passengers to provide DNA samples to establish the identities of victims.

The bodies have been taken to the main forensic institute in Toledo, where relatives are providing samples to assist the identification process. Some families remain uncertain about the fate of their loved ones, as authorities continue efforts to establish the identities of those killed and injured.

Outside a hospital in Toledo, a young woman said she was desperately searching for her mother, who had reportedly received a red tag indicating a serious condition at the crash site. Her father was also badly injured and had undergone surgery at the hospital.

The uncertainty has forced families to search hospitals and appeal for information about missing relatives.

Survivors described terrifying scenes inside the trains as the impact threw passengers and luggage around the carriages.

“Suitcases started flying, people started screaming,” one passenger told the BBC.

Salvador Arriza, 62, who survived the crash, told Reuters that passengers had to break windows to escape the wreckage.

“Some people practically couldn’t move because they were trapped amongst the seats,” he said.

Meanwhile, audio recordings published by Spanish media have raised questions about instructions issued by rail controllers before the collision, particularly whether the drivers were adequately informed about the situation on the affected section of track.

According to reports, a computer failure initially forced six trains, including the two involved in the crash, to stop.

Transport Minister Óscar Puente said the control centre subsequently authorised trains to resume their journeys without speed restrictions, describing the decision as having been made “under inexplicable circumstances.”

In one recording, a controller reportedly instructed the Renfe driver to continue at normal speed after technical problems affected railway operations.

“Continue your journey and then proceed under [Lateral Signalling Block], at normal speed with normal operation,” the controller reportedly said.

The driver asked, “At normal speed?”

The controller replied, “Yes.”

The Lateral Signalling Block is an alternative operating system used when automatic signalling or data transmission fails.

In a separate recording, the Iryo driver reportedly informed the control centre that the train had stopped near Urda after losing communication with the train-control system.

The driver said the train could not operate its security system and remained stationary in front of an entry signal.

The exchanges have raised questions about the apparent discrepancy between the instruction for the Renfe train to proceed at normal speed and information indicating that the Iryo train remained stationary ahead.

The recordings have also prompted scrutiny of what the control centre knew about the Iryo train’s difficulties as the Renfe train approached.

Investigators are expected to establish the precise sequence of events, determine what information was available to railway controllers and ascertain whether the instructions contributed to the collision.

A representative of the Spanish government said the main hypothesis was “first the failure of the electronic system and then a human mistake”.

The representative called for a technical and policy review of the disaster but cautioned against immediately attributing the crash to a general lack of investment in Spain’s railway network.

The disaster has also triggered public anger, with protesters gathering outside Spain’s Ministry of Transport in Madrid to demand accountability. One of the country’s largest trade unions has called for Puente to resign.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the country was mourning the victims and pledged that the circumstances surrounding the crash would be thoroughly investigated.

“The whole of Spain is grieving,” he said, adding, “We will get to the bottom of this, and if there has been any negligence, it will come to light.”

Spain has declared three days of national mourning. A memorial has been placed at Madrid’s Atocha station, while flags have been lowered to half-mast.

Authorities have also appealed for blood donations to support injured passengers.

The latest disaster has renewed scrutiny of railway safety in Spain, which has experienced several deadly rail accidents.

In July 2013, a high-speed train derailed near Santiago de Compostela in north-western Spain, killing 80 people and injuring more than 140. Investigators found that the train was travelling too fast for a curve and that the driver had failed to slow down in time.

In January 2026, another deadly railway disaster occurred in Adamuz, Córdoba, killing more than 40 people, according to reports. The incident prompted renewed attention to railway safety, although its circumstances differ from those of the latest collision.