Esther Padilla, spokesperson for the regional government of Castilla-La Mancha, told CNN that one of the trains was carrying 146 passengers and a baby, while the other had 397 passengers on board.

Reacting to the incident, a Spanish government source told El País: “It could be worse than Adamuz.”

According to emergency services sources cited by the Spanish newspaper, an AVE high-speed train collided with an Iryo train that was stopped on the tracks. Two carriages reportedly plunged down an embankment following the collision.

Following the accident, Spanish state-owned railway company Renfe announced the suspension of train services between Madrid, Ciudad Real and Andalusia.

Political parties in Spain also cancelled their scheduled events following the tragedy.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed shock over the accident in a post on X, saying he remained in constant contact with Transport Minister Óscar Puente and Castilla-La Mancha regional president Emiliano García-Page.

He added that emergency services were working at the scene to assist those affected and ensure their safety.

Rafael Escudero, spokesperson for the Railway Union, described the accident as “very unusual” in comments to El País.

A passenger travelling in one of the rear carriages told the newspaper that he felt a “strong impact” approximately 40 minutes into the journey.

The cause of the collision remains unclear, and an investigation is underway.

According to the newspaper’s report on the initial findings, an operator at Madrid’s Atocha control centre mistakenly instructed a Renfe train to proceed despite an Iryo train blocking the track. The report said this may have led to a rear-end collision between the two trains, although the speed at the time of impact had not yet been determined.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the accident.