High-Speed Train Collision in Spain's Toledo Province Kills at Least 68, Second Such Crash This Year; Americans Believed Hurt

One of Europe's worst recent rail disasters happened Wednesday morning in central Spain, Fox News reports.

The crash. A high-speed train ran into another that had stopped on the tracks in Castilla-La Mancha, derailing both and shredding at least two cars. The regional government put the death toll at at least 68 and said 58 more people needed hospital care. Rail operator ADIF said it happened in Toledo province, on a Madrid to Seville route. One train, run by state-owned RENFE, hit the tail of the other, owned by the private Italian-owned company Iryo, knocking two of its cars off the track.

The numbers. Regional spokeswoman Esther Padilla said 397 passengers were on the RENFE train and 147 on the Iryo train. She said the cause is not yet known. Fox says the State Department believes several Americans were hurt. A Breitbart report earlier Wednesday gave a lower death toll of 64, so figures were moving.

Eyewitnesses. A passenger on the RENFE train told state broadcaster TVE it had stopped briefly, started again and then crashed. Another said she felt the brakes slam and saw trapped people covered in blood. A construction worker who ran to help said people were climbing out through windows.

The response. Iryo said it had activated security protocols. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez canceled his schedule and said he was "dismayed." He faces a national election next month. King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia said they were following events. Both companies were also involved in a January crash, Fox notes, making this Spain's second high-speed rail crash this year.

Note for readers: the death toll could change as rescuers reach the two most damaged cars. A passenger's account that the RENFE train briefly stopped and restarted is one witness's account, not a finding.