Over 68 killed in Spain’s deadly train crash
More than 68 people were killed when two high-speed trains collided near Toledo in central Spain on Wednesday, prompting a major rescue operation as emergency workers searched the wreckage for more victims.
The collision occurred shortly after 9am between the towns of Mora and Orgaz. Several carriages derailed, with at least three plunging down an embankment. Twisted metal, broken panels and wreckage were scattered around the crash site.
Ambulances, helicopters and funeral service vehicles gathered near the scene, while evacuated passengers made their way along a nearby road. Some had bandaged wounds, while others received water from volunteers from neighbouring towns.
The latest crash is Spain’s second major deadly rail accident this year. A collision between high-speed trains near Adamuz in Cordoba province in January killed 46 people and triggered questions about investment in railway maintenance.
Circumstances under investigation
A person briefed on Wednesday’s accident said a train operated by private consortium Iryo had stopped near Toledo on the instructions of rail infrastructure manager ADIF because of a signal fault.
A train operated by state-owned Renfe then struck the stationary train at high speed, causing carriages on both trains to derail, the person said.
Renfe said its train had been authorised to continue its journey before colliding with the Iryo train, which had remained stationary for reasons that were still unknown.
“The exact sequence of events, the traffic conditions and the circumstances of the impact will have to be established by the investigation,” Renfe said in a statement.
There was no immediate response from Iryo or ADIF to requests for comment.
Castilla-La Mancha regional authorities said 147 people had been travelling on the Iryo train and 397 on the Renfe train. Authorities had not immediately released a figure for the number of injured.
Regional rescue workers were searching the carriages for additional victims as the death toll reached 64.
Spain’s health minister, Mónica García, urged people to donate blood, while Renfe activated a special telephone line for victims’ families. Iryo said it had activated its emergency protocols.
Passengers describe impact
Passengers described a powerful impact that threw people forward and prompted emergency evacuations.
Miguel, who was travelling in the rear carriage of one of the trains with colleagues, told COPE radio that a loud noise and a prolonged impact made him think the train was about to derail.
Eduarda, a passenger on the Iryo train, told Cadena SER radio that she initially thought the train had made an emergency stop. She realised the seriousness of the collision after seeing injured passengers and being instructed to evacuate.
She climbed down an embankment to reach safety as emergency responders arrived, including police, ambulances and a helicopter.
The cause of January’s crash near Adamuz remains under investigation. A preliminary report by Spain’s Civil Guard in February identified defects in the track, rail or a weld between two sections of track as its main line of inquiry, while leaving seven other possible explanations open.
That accident had prompted a wider debate over the level of investment in railway maintenance in recent years. Wednesday’s collision is likely to intensify scrutiny of rail safety, although its cause has yet to be established.
