Spain: cranes clear twisted train wreckage as rescuers work through the night

Personnel from Spain's Military Emergency Unit (UME) remained at the scene, working among derailed carriages and scattered debris while heavy cranes lifted sections of wreckage from the tracks. Images released on Thursday show emergency workers examining the damaged trains and coordinating operations at the crash site in the Castilla-La Mancha region. The disaster occurred when a high-speed service operated by state-owned Renfe struck the rear of a stationary train belonging to private operator Iryo. The collision left carriages derailed and badly damaged, with rescue teams continuing their work into the following day. Meanwhile, authorities established a temporary morgue at the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Toledo to identify those killed in the disaster. Military vehicles and police patrols were stationed outside the facility as forensic identification procedures got under way. The two operations continued in parallel on Thursday, with emergency teams clearing the wreckage near Urda while forensic specialists worked to establish the identities of the victims. The crash is Spain's second major deadly railway accident of 2026, following a collision in January that killed 45 people.