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Spain high-speed railway crash kills at least 68 after train stopped on tracks
· Confirmed
In Short: At least 74 people were killed and over 100 injured when two high-speed trains collided on Spain's Madrid-Seville line on Wednesday, according to ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos and Fox News.
At least 74 people were killed and over 100 injured when two high-speed trains collided on Spain's Madrid-Seville line on Wednesday, according to ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos and Fox News. ABC News reported that the death toll rose to 74 overnight, while Fox News initially reported at least 68 deaths.
The collision occurred around 08:53 local time (07:53 GMT) between the municipalities of Mora and Orgaz, approximately 140 kilometers south of Madrid, according to the Spanish government. Both ABC News and Fox News confirmed the location and time of the crash.
The Iryo train, carrying 146 passengers, including one baby, collided with the Renfe train, which had 397 passengers, according to ABC News. The transport ministry reported that 24 victims were found on the Renfe train and the remainder were on the Iryo train.
Survivors described the crash as a terrifying experience. Miguel Ángel Pérez, a survivor from the Renfe train, told RTVE that the carriage partially overturned and he saw carriages next to it completely wrecked. Another survivor, Patricia, described to CNN how people were thrown into the air and the train structure entered their carriage.
More than 500 emergency personnel were deployed to the site of the crash to assist with rescue operations, according to ABC News. At least three helicopters and several drones were also used in the rescue efforts.
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited the scene and said, “Today, Spain is in mourning. All of Spain is in mourning.” He added that the country would further strengthen safety measures if needed to restore confidence in the high-speed rail system.
Church leaders across Spain urged people to turn to God in prayer following the deadly train crash, according to Wng. Pope Leo XIV sent a telegram to Archbishop Francisco Cerro of Toledo, offering prayers for the eternal repose of the deceased.
The incident has raised questions about the safety of Spain's high-speed rail system, especially after a similar crash in January near Adamuz that killed 46 people. The Spanish Interior Ministry said in a statement that the role of the independent railway accident investigation commission would be crucial in understanding the cause of the crash.
The transport ministry reported that a computer failure led to the initial halt of six moving trains, including the two trains that subsequently collided, according to ABC News. Puente said that a red signal prohibiting movement was ignored, yet the train was authorized to proceed.
The collision occurred on the Madrid-Seville high-speed line, a route that has seen another deadly crash earlier in the year, raising concerns about the safety of Spain's rail system.
The incident has prompted calls for stronger safety measures and investigations into the causes of the crash, with church leaders urging prayers for the victims and their families.
Background
Church leaders across Spain urged people to turn to God in prayer following the deadly train crash.
What's confirmed
- "If we need to further strengthen safety in order to restore confidence in our high-speed rail system, we will do so, because it is unacceptable for a country like Spain to suffer two high-speed rail accidents in the same year, as we have."
- "Today, Spain is in mourning. All of Spain is in mourning," said Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez when he visited the scene.
- At least six Canadians were injured in the crash, and one other is unaccounted for, according to a spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada.
- Spain's transport minister said one of the trains was told to continue its journey despite a "red signal" being in effect.
- 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.
- “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.
- The trains were travelling in the same direction on the line that stretches from the Spanish capital, Madrid, to Seville on Wednesday when one of the trains ran into the tail of the other, which had stopped, knocking several carriages off the track.
- A woman who was traveling on the Renfe high-speed train also described "awful" scenes as people were thrown into the air. Speaking to CNN, Patricia said her train had been stopped for about 20 minutes before the accident, with an announcement explaining there was a lot of traffic. "After that, we departed, and maybe not after even three minutes, there was a crash," she said. "Some people were hurled into the air... it was awful," she said. "Some of the train structure got into our carriage, and our carriage wasn't even the worst (affected)."
- "It is a decision made under inexplicable circumstances."
What's still developing
- "In the event of a system failure, the control center takes over," Puente said, adding it was the control center which decided to allow the trains to move again without any speed restrictions.
- "We'd like to convey to the families our condolences, our sorrow, our support and our affection at such a hard, difficult time," Spain's King Felipe VI said in a statement.
- Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, called it a “a violation of Spain’s territorial integrity” ( 12:51 ) and blamed on misleading narratives spread by human traffickers ( 12:54, 13:17 ).
- 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).
- Spain's transportation minister Óscar Puente said that a computer system failure led to an issue with the safety system along a 63-kilometer (40-mile) stretch of track causing all trains in the area to be stopped automatically.
- Another passenger, Yoander, 25, said, "I was sleeping, and when I woke up I was already crashing into the seats in front of me."
- As a result, Puente said that between 8:36 a.m. and 8:52 a.m. local time, it resumed traveling at about 124 miles per hour, eventually colliding with the stationary Iryo train.