Spain searches for survivors after high-speed rail collision kills 69
Rescue teams continue to search the wreckage of a high-speed train crash in central Spain that left 69 dead, while officials investigate the cause and the incident fuels political debate ahead of the national election.
Rescue crews and sniffer dogs combed the site of a high-speed rail collision in central Spain on Thursday, a day after a RENFE train struck a stationary IRYO train, killing 69 people, regional leader Emiliano García-Page said. The death toll rose after another body was recovered overnight.
García-Page described the event as a "catastrophe" that has shocked the nation and noted that 50 people remain hospitalized. He added that identification of bodies and body parts is ongoing, and a crane is being used to lift a flipped carriage.
The Spanish government declared three days of mourning, while Global Affairs Canada confirmed that six Canadians were injured and a seventh person was unaccounted for, offering consular assistance to those affected.
Transport Minister Óscar Puente said the crash resulted from an "inexplicable" order issued by the central command centre after a security system failure halted trains on a 63-kilometre stretch. He said the RENFE train was instructed to resume travel without speed restrictions despite an active stop signal, leading to the collision at 8:53 a.m.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited the crash site in Toledo, pledging an investigation and measures to improve rail safety. He said the country must rebuild trust in its high-speed network after two fatal accidents this year.
The incident has become a campaign issue ahead of the national election on Nov. 29. People's Party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo called for a full investigation and suspended campaign events for the day, while Vox leader Santiago Abascal accused the government of criminal conduct without pausing his campaign activities.