Dozens of people killed after high-speed trains collide in central Spain
A Renfe AVE train collided with a stationary Iryo service near Urda, Toledo, following a reported safety system failure.
Quick Look
- At least 68 people died and 58 were injured after a high-speed Renfe train struck a stationary Iryo train near Urda, Spain.
- Transport Minister Oscar Puente attributed the crash to a computer malfunction and an erroneous instruction from a control center.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
The crash occurred nine months after a similar rail disaster in January near Adamuz that killed 46 people. Spain has been investing heavily in an extensive high-speed rail network.
At least 68 people were killed after a high-speed train slammed into another that had stopped on the tracks in central Spain on Wednesday morning, regional authorities said.
The collision comes nine months after another high-speed rail disaster killed 46 people, renewing scrutiny of safety on Spain's rail network.
The Castilla-La Mancha regional government said another 58 people required hospital treatment. Rescue workers continued searching the wreckage for survivors and bodies.
Both trains were travelling from Madrid to Seville. The Renfe high-speed AVE service hit the rear of the stationary Iryo train near the town of Urda in Toledo province some 140km (about 90 miles) south of Madrid, derailing two carriages.
Transport Minister Oscar Puente said a computer malfunction had disabled a safety system at around 8:30 a.m., bringing trains to a halt along a 63-kilometer (39-mile) stretch.
A central control center then gave the Renfe train an "inexplicable" instruction to resume its journey without speed restrictions, despite a stop signal remaining active, Puente said. It collided with the Iryo train at 8:53 a.m.
Puente said the train drivers were not to blame. Investigators were still establishing the speed at impact, he added, although trains could travel at 200 kilometers per hour (124 mph) on that stretch.
Images from the scene showed at least two severely damaged train carriages flipped over on their side after tumbling down an embankment.
The Renfe train was carrying 397 passengers and the Iryo service had 147 aboard, according to the regional government.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he was "shocked" by the "serious" accident.
"Emergency services are working on the ground to assist those affected and ensure their safety, in coordination with all the involved administrations," he wrote on social media. "My affection, solidarity and support to all the victims and their families."
The collision comes just months after another devastating rail disaster near Adamuz in Andalusia in January.
In that accident, a high-speed train derailed and collided with an oncoming train, killing 46 people and injuring more than 150. The incident shook the confidence that Spain has in its extensive high-speed rail network.
The crash was the deadliest in Spain since a 2013 collision that killed 80 people.
Open Questions
- What specific computer malfunction caused the safety system failure?
- Why was the instruction to resume travel issued despite the signal?
