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Spain Train Crash Kills 68, Injures Scores
Confirmed
In Short: A high-speed train collision near Madrid on Wednesday killed at least 68 people and injured scores more, with the death toll expected to rise.
A high-speed train collision near Madrid on Wednesday killed at least 68 people and injured scores more, with the death toll expected to rise. The crash occurred near the town of Urda, about 90 miles south of Madrid, where a train bound for Seville slammed into another train that had stopped on the tracks.
The collision, which knocked both trains off the tracks and sheared at least one apart, involved 147 people on the stopped train. The incident is one of the worst rail disasters in Europe's modern history and Spain's deadliest since 2013, when 80 people died in a derailment.
The transport minister, Óscar Puente, said a computer failure followed by human error caused the crash. Puente noted that the decision to resume traffic while the automatic control system had not been restored belonged to the control center, which he described as 'inexplicable circumstances.'
The crash occurred shortly after 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, with temperatures soaring above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). The regional government of Castilla La Mancha confirmed the death toll and said another 58 people were receiving medical treatment at hospitals, with 15 in critical condition.
Emergency services reported at least 68 deaths, with some reports suggesting a higher toll. More than 100 people were injured, and the death toll is likely to rise. The crash is the second deadly accident on the Madrid-Seville line in less than a year.
The Spanish royal household expressed shock and concern over the accident, conveying support to the victims, their loved ones, and emergency services. The Spanish bishops’ conference also offered condolences and prayers for the deceased and injured.
The crash has raised questions about Spain's rail safety. The Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, called it a 'tragic scourge' and blamed misleading narratives spread by human traffickers, though this statement was widely criticized.
The regional government of Castilla La Mancha said that 80 people were injured, 15 of them very seriously. The Spanish rail system operator ADIF said the crash occurred on the line connecting Madrid to the southern Andalusia region.
Passengers described a 'horrific, horrible' scene with a 'very strong hit' that lasted a long time until the train stopped, with people on the floor, seats ripped out, and suitcases scattered, creating a lot of chaos.
The federation ordered the postponement of the games 'in solidarity with the victims' of the accident, highlighting the impact of the disaster on the local community.
What this adds
The crash is the second deadly accident on the Madrid-Seville line in less than a year.
Background
The collision occurred shortly after 9:00 a.m.
Two high-speed trains collided in central Spain, killing at least 30 people and derailing two carriages.
What's confirmed
- As of the early afternoon hours (EDT) of Oct. 28, 68 deaths have been reported, with hundreds injured, and the death toll expected to rise.
- Aerial footage showed the aftermath of a deadly high-speed train crash in central Spain Wednesday. (Spanish Civil Guard via AP) Several Americans are believed to have been injured in a high-speed train collision that killed at least 68 people in Spain on Wednesday when one train collided with another that had stopped on the tracks.
- Spain’s rail system operator ADIF said the crash occurred Wednesday morning in the province of Toledo.
- Transport minister says crash was due to ‘inexplicable’ decision Spain’s Transport Minister Óscar Puente said that the accident was caused by what he called the “inexplicable” order from a central command center for Spain’s trains after a security system had failed.
What's still developing
- The trains, one from Spain’s state-owned Renfe and the other from the private rail company Iryo, were travelling on Wednesday morning in the same direction on the line that stretches from the Spanish capital, Madrid, to the southern region of Andalusia.
- “We heard a massive roar, a truly enormous thud that went on for 10 seconds, as if the train were about to derail,” one passenger, Miguel, told Spain’s COPE radio, adding that he was traveling with several colleagues in the rear car of one of the trains.
- ATHENS, Greece : A Greek fighter jet crashed during an airshow at Tanagra Air Base, around 55 kilometres north of Athens, killing both pilots, according to the TO Proto Thema newspaper on Saturday (Sept. 5), reported German Press Agency (dpa).