At least 68 people were killed and 107 were hospitalized after two high-speed trains collided in central Spain on Wednesday, leaving wrecked carriages scattered beside the tracks and triggering an investigation into a possible failure of the railway’s safety systems.
The crash occurred shortly before 9 a.m. near Urda, in the province of Toledo, involving a state-owned Renfe train and an Iryo train. Eighteen of those hospitalized in the Castilla-La Mancha region were in critical condition, according to Spanish newspaper El País.
The trains were carrying more than 500 passengers combined. Several carriages derailed during the collision, with some overturning and suffering extensive damage. Emergency crews, firefighters, police and medical teams were sent to the scene, while rescuers searched the wreckage for victims and survivors.
Spain’s Transport Minister Óscar Puente said a failure in a railway safety system had caused trains on the affected stretch to stop automatically. Traffic control was then transferred to a central control center, which authorized the Renfe train to resume its journey even though the Iryo train remained stopped on the tracks.
Puente described the decision as inexplicable. Authorities are investigating how the order was given and whether any negligence or safety failures contributed to the crash.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited the area and pledged a full investigation, saying any negligence would be established and addressed. He also said it was unacceptable for Spain to suffer 2 major high-speed rail accidents in the same year.
The latest disaster comes after a January train collision in southern Spain killed 46 people.
Rail services on the Madrid-Andalusia high-speed line were suspended following the collision as authorities continued their investigation and emergency response.