Breaking: King's Cup matches suspended, Real Madrid and Barcelona declare mourning
Spanish Football Federation have suspended Wednesday's first-round Copa del Rey matches following a tragic collision between two trains in the province of Toledo, which left dozens of victims and injured people. Spanish clubs flooded social media with messages of condolence and solidarity.
Spanish newspaper "Marca" report that the decision covers Wednesday's fixtures, among them Navalcarnero against Real Betis, Salamanca against Celta Vigo, and Tavernes against Valencia, along with a number of other matches.
Thursday's matches remain in limbo. The Federation have yet to decide whether those fixtures will go ahead, and new dates for the postponed games have not been set.
Details of the tragic accident
The accident occurred on Wednesday morning, at around 8:54 local time, between the areas of Los Yébenes and Urda in the province of Toledo. According to initial information reported by Spanish news agency "Europa Press" from sources in the Ministry of Transport, a train belonging to the state company "Renfe" collided with a train belonging to the company "Iryo" that was stopped on the track.
The collision sent carriages off the rails, with several tumbling onto a slope beside the track. High-speed services between Madrid and Andalusia ground to a halt as rescue and ambulance teams raced to the scene.
Initial reports indicated dozens of dead and injured, with warnings that the toll could rise as rescue operations continue. Investigators are still piecing together what happened, and no final confirmation has been issued regarding the direct cause of the collision or who was responsible for it.
Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atlético declare mourning
Spanish football felt the shock of the tragedy immediately. Real Madrid, Barcelona and Atlético Madrid expressed their deep sorrow over the accident, offered their condolences to the families of the victims and stood in solidarity with the injured.
Real Madrid published an official statement expressing their "profound sorrow and grief" at what happened. The club offered condolences to the families and relatives of the deceased, affirmed their support for the injured and all those affected, and sent a message of solidarity to the emergency teams and everyone taking part in the rescue and assistance operations.
Barcelona posted a message on their official account on the platform "X", offering sincere condolences to the families and friends of the victims and expressing their solidarity, while wishing a speedy recovery to all the injured.
Atlético Madrid said in their message: "We share in the grief of the families and friends of the victims of the tragic accident that occurred this morning in the province of Toledo, and we offer them our sincere condolences, and we wish a speedy recovery to all the injured".
Rescue teams mobilised and the final decision awaited
Spanish authorities dispatched firefighting, civil protection and medical services to the scene, nearby hospitals prepared to receive the injured, and the regional emergency plan was activated in Castilla-La Mancha.
The scale of the tragedy forced the suspension of the Copa del Rey matches, coinciding with the mourning and solidarity messages from the Spanish clubs. The sporting world now awaits the Federation's decision on new dates for the postponed games and the fate of Thursday's fixtures.
Investigators press on to uncover the circumstances of the collision. Emergency teams continue their efforts at the scene, with the toll of victims and injured under constant watch.
