Under floodlights and in the dead of night, Spain's Military Emergency Unit, known as the UME, kept working with cranes and heavy equipment to lift and clear derailed train cars at the site of the country's latest high-speed rail disaster. Video from the scene shows soldiers moving through twisted wreckage as they carry out rescue and recovery operations. The crash happened on October 28 near Urda in Toledo province, on the Madrid–Seville line, when a Renfe AVE train struck the rear of a stationary Iryo train. At least 68 people have been reported dead and around 80 injured, though the toll has varied between outlets and could still change. It is also Spain's second deadly high-speed rail tragedy this year.

The big question now is how two trains ended up on the same stretch of track in the first place. Preliminary reports point to a failure in the LZB signalling system and an error at the control center, but the official cause has not been confirmed. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has ordered an investigation and promised action if negligence is found. Meanwhile, the crash has disrupted high-speed rail links between Madrid and Andalusia and left families waiting for news. Until investigators publish their findings, the cause, the responsibility and the final death toll remain open questions.