At least 39 people have been killed and scores injured after two high-speed trains collided in Spain, sending carriages off the railway embankment.

The collision occurred on the Madrid-Andalusia line between the towns of Los Yébenes and Urda in Toledo, as emergency services continued rescue operations at the scene.

Local authorities told Sky News that at least 39 people had died, although the full number of casualties and injured passengers was yet to be confirmed.

The Renfe AVE high-speed train had reportedly departed Madrid at 8 a.m. for Seville when it collided with an Iryo train travelling in the opposite direction. Both trains were believed to have been carrying more than 400 passengers.

Footage from the scene showed carriages scattered down a steep embankment, with debris and badly damaged train cars along the railway line.

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Surviving passengers were seen scrambling to safety, while some people were believed to remain trapped inside the wreckage.

Two carriages were reported to have derailed completely, while the other train appeared to have left the tracks but remained upright on top of the embankment.

Eyewitnesses said several people were injured as paramedics and firefighters rushed to the scene to assist survivors and evacuate passengers.

Meanwhile, crowds gathered at Madrid’s Atocha railway station seeking information about relatives who were aboard the trains.

Carlos Larquin said his aunt, Silvia, was travelling alone on the Iryo train to Seville but had stopped answering her phone.

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He told El País: “I don’t know if she’s alive or injured because she isn’t picking up the phone. I have her ticket.’

Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, said he was shocked by the accident and expressed solidarity with the victims and their families.

He said on X: “Emergency services are working on the ground to assist those affected and ensure their safety, in coordination with all the involved administrations.

“My affection, solidarity, and support to all the victims and their families.”

Adif, the agency responsible for Spain’s railway infrastructure, confirmed that train services on the Madrid-Andalusia high-speed line had been suspended following the collision.

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In a statement, it said: “Train traffic on the Madrid-Andalucía high-speed line has been interrupted due to a collision between two trains.

“The incident occurred between Mora and Orgaz and Urda, at PK 118, between a Renfe train and another from the Iryo company, both covering the Madrid-Sevilla route.

“All trains on this line are currently stopped at stations along the route. For more information, they should contact the various companies operating on it.”

The latest collision comes nine months after a train crash in Adamuz, Córdoba province, killed 46 people and injured nearly 300 in one of Spain’s worst railway disasters.

A six-year-old girl was the only survivor of her family in that incident. Her relatives had been travelling home after watching the musical The Lion King.

A Nigerian citizen, Akinade Adedeji Raheem, has been arraigned in the United States over allegations that he conspired with others to file fraudulent tax returns seeking more than $100 million in refunds using stolen identities.

Raheem, 43, appeared in court on Monday following his extradition from Benin Republic to face federal charges of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, access device fraud and aggravated identity theft.

According to a statement published on the US Department of Justice website on Tuesday, Raheem allegedly worked with Abayomi Quadri Eletu, a resident of the United Kingdom and Nigeria, and others to carry out the scheme between 2018 and 2023.

“Raheem and his co-conspirators allegedly obtained hundreds of stolen identities, filed fraudulent tax returns using that information, and laundered the proceeds through prepaid debit cards and purchases of used cars that were shipped to Nigeria and other locations,” US Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg said.

“The scope of the alleged fraud is staggering. Thanks to the dedication of the prosecution team and our law enforcement partners around the world, Raheem has been extradited to the United States, and his arrest confirms again that no alleged criminal can escape the reach of American justice.”

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Court documents cited by the prosecution alleged that Raheem, who resided in Atlanta, Georgia, and his co-conspirators filed more than 300 fraudulent tax returns seeking over $100 million in refunds from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

The suspects allegedly obtained sensitive personal information belonging to tax professionals and American taxpayers, including names, addresses and Social Security numbers, by creating online accounts with the IRS and requesting private taxpayer information.

Using the stolen identities, they allegedly filed fraudulent tax returns and instructed the IRS to split the refunds among prepaid debit cards sent to addresses controlled by members of the group.

The prosecution further alleged that Raheem and Eletu laundered some of the proceeds by purchasing money orders in amounts low enough to avoid reporting thresholds.

They allegedly used the money orders to buy used vehicles through auction websites, some of which were shipped to Nigeria, as well as designer clothing and other items.

Special Agent in Charge Christopher J. Altemus Jr. of the IRS Criminal Investigation’s Texas Field Office said the alleged scheme had affected hundreds of taxpayers and deprived the US Treasury of funds.

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“Raheem is an alleged co-conspirator in a nationwide identity theft scheme that victimized hundreds of taxpayers. The fraud also stole from the U.S. Treasury, impacting programs serving us all. These come with repercussions that are long lasting, which is why we place a global emphasis on arresting and extraditing these individuals,” Altemus said.

“Protect your tax returns with an identity protection pin at IRS.gov and know that we are pursuing financial criminals to take back the stolen money and their freedom.”

TIGTA Special Agent-in-Charge Anthony Colello said the investigation demonstrated the commitment of law enforcement agencies to pursuing people accused of defrauding American taxpayers.

“The investigative efforts of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) and its partners, along with the prosecutorial work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, demonstrate the commitment to pursuing, capturing, and prosecuting those who try to defraud the American people,” Colello said.

According to the Justice Department, federal agents attempted to arrest Raheem at his residence in April 2026 but spoke to a man who identified himself as Raheem through a video doorbell and said he was not at home.

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Less than a week later, investigators learnt that Raheem had booked a flight from Mexico City to Benin Republic.

He arrived in Benin on April 15, 2026, and was arrested by local authorities following an INTERPOL Red Notice. Beninese authorities extradited him to the United States the previous week, in what the Justice Department described as the second extradition from Benin to the US in history.

A federal grand jury in the Northern District of Georgia indicted Raheem on February 24, 2026, on one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, 14 counts of access device fraud and 14 counts of aggravated identity theft.

If convicted, he faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, 20 years for money laundering and 10 years for access device fraud. The aggravated identity theft charges carry a mandatory two-year prison sentence.

According to the DOJ, Eletu was indicted in the Western District of Texas on February 17, 2026 and was later arrested in the United Kingdom, where extradition proceedings are pending.

The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said it has arrested nine suspects in connection with scam centres across Nigeria.

A statement by the FBI Director, Kash Patel, on Monday, noted that a total of $11 million in potentially freezable funds, have also been identified across multiple countries.

Patel said the suspects who operate in the unmentioned scam centers in Nigeria, exploit innocent victims, steal life savings, and operate across international borders “believing they are beyond the reach of law enforcement; they’re wrong,” the FBI noted.

Patel thanked Nigerian law enforcement and its partners in London for their cooperation.

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The FBI director said Operation Blackout is taking the fight directly to the international cybercriminal networks stealing billions from Americans.

“Our latest operation in Nigeria delivered nine arrests, 53 electronic devices seized, $11 million in potentially freezable funds identified across multiple countries.

“These scam centers exploit innocent victims, steal life savings, and operate across international borders believing they are beyond the reach of law enforcement.

“They’re wrong. Thanks to Nigerian law enforcement and our partners in London for their outstanding cooperation.

“To the criminals targeting Americans from overseas, justice will find you,” Patel said.