Spain's King and Queen Respond to Toledo Train Crash

King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain say they are "moved and concerned" by a train collision in Toledo province that has killed 64 people, according to Government figures. Hello Magazine reported the couple's words, which came in a statement they posted to their social media accounts.

Two high-speed passenger trains collided near Urda station on Wednesday morning. Urda lies south of Madrid, on the line that links the capital with Andalusia. CNN reports that the two trains carried about 500 passengers between them and that around 100 people were injured.

The impact sent two carriages off the rails and down an embankment, the steep bank of earth that runs beside the track. Rescue and recovery work was still under way in the afternoon, according to live coverage from DW and Reuters.

The royal couple's post sent condolences to the families of those who died. It also sent affection to the injured. Their message is the first public response from the couple.

King Felipe was at the Jaime I military base in Bétera, near Valencia, when he spoke to reporters that morning. He said he was cutting his visit short so he could return to Madrid as soon as possible and keep track of the emergency. A video shared by the Royal Palace shows him close to tears as he spoke.

The king has cancelled all of his engagements for Wednesday and Thursday. Among them is a commemorative concert at the National Music Auditorium in Madrid, a concert held to mark an occasion of remembrance. The list also includes the closing ceremony of the World Infrastructure Forum, a conference on large public works.

The cancellations are the clearest sign so far of how the event has reached the royal diary. A concert is a rare thing to see called off, and the reason was given plainly. The death toll has been rising as the search continues, so the figures may change in the coming hours.