At least 68 Killed in Central Spain High-Speed Train Collision
A high-speed train ran into the rear of a stopped train in Toledo province, killing at least 68 people and injuring dozens, prompting three days of national mourning.
A high-speed train collided with the rear of a stopped train on Wednesday morning in the province of Toledo, central Spain, killing at least 68 people and leaving 58 others in hospital, regional authorities said. The accident involved a state-owned RENFE train carrying 397 passengers and a private IRYO train with 147 passengers. Both trains were traveling from Madrid to Seville when the RENFE train was ordered to resume movement after a security system failure, striking the stationary IRYO train at 8:53 a.m.
Spain's Transport Minister Óscar Puente said a computer malfunction had disabled a safety system on a 63-kilometre stretch of track, causing all trains to stop. He said the central command centre then instructed the RENFE train to proceed without speed restrictions despite an active stop signal, leading to the collision. Puente added that the train may have been traveling at up to 200 km/h (124 mph) at the time.
"I am not attributing responsibility to anyone, I am just stating the facts," Puente said.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited the crash site and announced three days of national mourning. He called for additional safety measures to restore confidence in the high-speed rail network.
"Today all of Spain is grieving," Sánchez said.
Health Minister Mónica García said emergency crews were focused on rescuing survivors and recovering bodies from the most damaged cars.
"It was a high-speed impact, so we are expecting this to be a tragedy," García said.
Passengers described the impact as violent, with one saying the train was thrown into the air and another recounting being hurled forward and seeing injured people. Local authorities set up a sports pavilion in the nearby town of Urda to treat passengers. Rail service between Madrid, Ciudad Real and Andalusia was suspended pending investigation.
The crash follows a fatal train accident in January that killed 45 people, raising concerns about the safety of Spain's extensive high-speed rail system.