At least 68 killed in high-speed train collision in Spain

At least 68 people were killed in a collision between two high-speed trains on the railway line linking Madrid with the southern region of Andalusia on Wednesday morning, Spanish media reported.

The accident occurred at around 8:54 a.m. local time (0754 GMT) near Urda station in the province of Toledo, about 120 km south of Madrid.

The collision involved a train operated by state-owned railway company Renfe and another operated by private company Iryo.

Preliminary reports suggested that the Renfe train struck the rear of the Iryo train, which had reportedly been stationary on the tracks. Two carriages derailed and plunged down an embankment.

The Chinese Embassy in Spain has confirmed that four Chinese nationals were aboard the trains involved in the collision, with at least one sustaining minor injury.

Spanish railway infrastructure operator Adif confirmed that the accident prompted the suspension of rail services between Madrid and Andalusia.

Political parties across Spain cancelled scheduled activities on Wednesday, while officials expressed their condolences and support for those affected.

"Shocked by the serious train accident in Toledo," Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez wrote on social media, adding that emergency services are on the ground to assist those impacted.

The collision came just nine months after another major railway accident near Adamuz, in the southern province of Cordoba, which killed 46 people.

At least 68 killed in high-speed train collision in Spain

At least 68 killed in high-speed train collision in Spain

At least 68 killed in high-speed train collision in Spain

At least 68 killed in high-speed train collision in Spain

China's box office revenue has exceeded 31.5 billion yuan (about 4.73 billion U.S. dollars) so far this year, with domestic films entering into the overseas markets at a notably faster pace. Since the start of this year, a number of Chinese films, including racing-comedy "Pegasus 3," suspense-action thriller "Blades of the Guardians," the word-of-mouth hit "Dear You," and animated fantasy-comedy "All Wishes Come True," have been released overseas one after another.

According to the China Film Administration, more than 20 domestic films were released abroad in the first half of this year. By late August, Chinese films have raked in more than 450 million yuan (about 67.51 million U.S. dollars) at the overseas box office in 2026.

This year's Chinese films going overseas are no longer confined to a single genre such as Kung Fu or Wuxia, but have instead seen a collective overseas expansion across multiple genres, including realistic drama, animation, suspense, and sports.

Many of these films have been released simultaneously worldwide right from the start of their theatrical run.

The overseas markets are no longer limited to traditional Chinese-language film strongholds such as North America and Southeast Asia, but have further expanded to European countries including Germany, the UK, Ireland, Hungary and France, as well as more emerging Southeast Asian markets such as the Philippines and Indonesia.

"Global audiences are showing growing interest in Chinese films, and I think this is a very positive trend," said Zhang Yiwu, a professor at the Department of Chinese Language and Literature, Peking University.

Chinese-made films enter into overseas markets at faster pace

Chinese-made films enter into overseas markets at faster pace