Spain mourns as high-speed crash kills at least 68
A high-speed express train collided with a stationary service in Castilla-La Mancha, killing 68 people and injuring dozens, prompting a national mourning declaration and a call for a safety investigation.
At least 68 people were killed when a Spanish high-speed express train struck a stationary train on Wednesday near Urda, Castilla-La Mancha, rescuers said. The collision occurred around 9 a.m. local time as the Renfe service was authorized to proceed despite a red signal that had been activated after a computer communications failure.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced a period of national mourning and said the incident would be investigated, adding that the causes of this crash and a similar accident in January appeared unrelated. He pledged to strengthen safety measures if required.
Transport Minister (name not given) confirmed that the red signal was issued due to the communications failure and that an erroneous decision was made to restart the Renfe train. Renfe stated that its train continued as instructed and collided with the Iryo train, which was stationary for reasons not yet known. The exact sequence of events will be determined by the investigation.
Emergency services, including ambulances, helicopters and funeral vans, worked through the night to retrieve victims from the wreckage, where three carriages had plunged down an embankment. Health Minister Mónica García reported 80 injuries, 15 of them serious.
Survivors described the impact as strong enough to send passengers flying. One passenger, Rafael Barcelo, said he was standing near a coffee station when the crash occurred.
The regional government said 147 people were aboard the Iryo train and 397 on the Renfe service. Renfe has opened a dedicated hotline for families and suspended ticket sales on the Madrid-Andalusia high-speed corridor until December 13.
The accident is the deadliest rail incident in Europe since the 2013 Santiago de Compostela derailment. A preliminary civil-guard report on the January crash had suggested possible track defects, and Spain’s railway safety authority noted an increase in accidents over recent years. While Spain has spent about €1.5 billion annually on its high-speed network, most of the funding has gone to new construction, with roughly 16 % allocated to maintenance, according to European Commission data.