At least 68 people have died and dozens more are injured after two high-speed trains collided in central Spain on Wednesday morning. The accident, which occurred in Toledo province, is the country’s second major train disaster this year and its deadliest in 13 years.The collision happened just after 09:00 (08:00 GMT) between the municipalities of Mora and Orgaz, approximately 140km (87 miles) south of Madrid. A train operated by Spain’s state-owned railway company, Renfe, carrying 397 passengers, struck a stationary Iryo private rail operator train from behind. The Iryo train, with 147 passengers on board, had stopped on the tracks due to a computer failure.Spain’s Transport Minister Óscar Puente stated that a computer failure, followed by an “inexplicable” human error, caused the crash. He explained that a 24-hour control centre in Madrid took over after the system failure but instructed the trains to move again without any speed restrictions. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described the second disaster in nine months as “unacceptable” and vowed to investigate thoroughly to determine if there were any security system failures or negligence.Passengers described a “brutal” impact, with some thrown into the air and trapped in the wreckage. Salvador Arriza, 62, on the Renfe train, told Reuters that passengers broke windows to escape, while others were trapped among seats. Tangui Binier, 22, on the Iryo train, witnessed suitcases flying and people screaming, and saw his train “completely flipped over” with smoke and confusion. He recounted seeing dead bodies and missing limbs, stating, “I don’t know if I’ll ever recover.”Journalist Antonio Jiménez Barca, who was walking to the Renfe train’s cafeteria, said he felt like he was thrown to the ground, hitting his head and being covered in blood. Sebastián Herrero, 46, told El Mundo newspaper that he saw “many people with broken noses, broken arms” and felt like he was “in the air for about four or five seconds.”Dozens of ambulances and a helicopter rushed to the scene to evacuate the seriously injured. Spain’s Civil Guard will require DNA samples from relatives to identify some victims. Prime Minister Sánchez stated that “the whole of Spain is grieving,” acknowledging the immense pain and shattered lives. He and other Spanish politicians cancelled all public engagements, including campaigning for next month’s parliamentary elections.The leader of the main opposition People’s Party, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, demanded to know “what is happening with its infrastructure.” The Spanish trade union CSIF has called for the transport minister’s resignation, accusing him of “scapegoating” a traffic manager instead of taking responsibility. The country was previously affected by a high-speed rail disaster near Córdoba in January that killed 46 people on the same rail line.
Background
- This is Spain's second major train accident this year.
- It is the country's deadliest train disaster in 13 years.
- A previous high-speed rail disaster near Córdoba in January killed 46 people on the same rail line.
