Star Metro - Spain high-speed train collision kills 30

Images shared by local media showed the wreckage of two trains strewn on the tracks and an embankment as emergency services rushed to the scene, while shocked travellers dragged away their suitcases as they escaped.

The accident in the central region of Castilla-La Mancha comes one month before Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who faced heavy criticism for the first disaster, seeks to overturn unfavourable polls in an early general election.

Sources from authorities in Castilla-La Mancha told AFP "at least 30" people had died, raising a previous toll of 10. Authorities have not yet given a toll for any wounded.

Esther Padilla, spokeswoman for the government of Castilla-La Mancha, had told local media CMM that "it is possible that the number will increase".

State railway operator Renfe confirmed in a statement that the main high-speed line from Madrid to southern Spain had been suspended after one of its services suffered an accident with a train from private Spanish company Iryo.

A spokesperson for the Spanish emergency services told AFP the trains collided just before 9:00 am (0800 GMT) in the municipality of Urda, around 130 kilometres (80 miles) south of Madrid.

"All resources are currently being deployed," the emergency services spokesperson said, including "several fire crews, three helicopters, and two mobile intensive care units".

- 'Shocked' -

Sanchez, who is seeking to extend his eight-year premiership in the November 29 vote, said on X that he was "shocked" by the accident and sent "my love, solidarity and support to all the victims and their families".

He cancelled his participation in a summit on obesity in Madrid after the news broke, while his Socialist party suspended all its campaign activities.

Condolences flooded in from across Spain and Europe. The Spanish royal household said on X it was "shocked and concerned" by the accident, conveying its support to the victims, their loved ones and the emergency services.

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said "Europe mourns" with the victims after the "devastating news", while French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his country's "solidarity".

Spain's high-speed rail network has received huge investment in recent years, growing to become the world's second-largest after China and a source of national pride.

But Wednesday's accident comes after another collision between two high-speed trains outside the southern village of Adamuz in January left 46 dead, which raised major questions about safety on the country's railways.

That crash was Spain's deadliest train accident since 2013, when 80 people died after a train veered off a curved section of track outside the northwestern city of Santiago de Compostela.

Both of this year's accidents happened on the line linking Madrid to the southern city of Seville.

One of the country's busiest routes, it was Spain's first high-speed line when it opened in 1992 to coincide with the Seville universal exposition.

A.Hill--SMC