A collision between two high-speed trains south of Madrid has left at least 68 people dead and more than 100 injured, in one of Europe’s deadliest rail disasters this century.
The accident occurred on Wednesday between the towns of Mora and Orgaz in Toledo province, about 130 km south of Madrid. One train was embedded into the other, with some carriages lying on their sides amid tangled metal debris at the bottom of an embankment.
Castilla-La Mancha regional leader Emiliano Garcia-Page confirmed the death toll of 68, warning that it could rise further. Of the injured, 58 were taken to hospital, including 15 in critical condition.
State operator Renfe said the main high-speed line from Madrid to southern Spain had been suspended after one of its trains collided with a service operated by private company Iryo.
Transport Minister Oscar Puente said the collision followed an “error” after a technical failure affected the automatic control system that had halted services on a 69-km stretch of track. Traffic was resumed under circumstances he described as “inexplicable.” The Renfe train restarted and travelled about 25 km before colliding with the stationary Iryo train at a speed that could have reached up to 200 kmph.
Survivors described a strong impact, chaos inside the carriages, and scenes of people and luggage thrown about. Emergency services and funeral vehicles were seen at the site during the search for survivors.
Spain has declared three days of national mourning. The accident is the second major high-speed train collision in the country this year, following a crash near Adamuz in January that killed 46 people. It has raised fresh questions about rail safety on Spain’s extensive high-speed network.