At least 68 people killed in high-speed train collision in central Spain

By David Latona, Guillermo Martinez and Michael Francis Gore

URDA, Spain, Oct 28 (Reuters) – At least 68 individuals passed away when a Spanish high-speed reveal knocked into a fixed train on Wednesday, with rescuers searching mangled carriages for more bodies after Spain’s 2nd deadly rail crash this year and Europe’s most dangerous because 2013.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez stated “all of Spain” remained in grieving after the crash, which the transportation minister stated taken place after a Renfe service was authorised to continue regardless of an active red signal due to a fixed train ahead.

Oscar Puente informed press reporters in Madrid that the red signal was provided due to a computer system interactions failure, which instantly stopped traffic, however an incorrect choice was then required to reboot the Renfe train.

Sanchez stated in a telecasted address from near the website south of Madrid that the “terrible tragedy” would be examined and promised to deal with any failures that emerged, including that the reasons for the 2 crashes seemed unassociated.

“If we need to further strengthen safety in order to rebuild confidence in our high-speed rail system, we will do so, because what is unacceptable for a country like Spain is to suffer two high-speed rail accidents in the same year,” Sanchez stated.

Spain’s opposition People’s Party stated it had actually cancelled all project occasions for the day, ahead of elections next month.

CAUGHT AMONG SEATS

At the scene in rural Castilla-La Mancha, ambulances, funeral home vans and helicopters put together next to among the trains on a raised stretch of track, while twisted metal and wreckage lay spread down an embankment where a minimum of 3 carriages had actually plunged.

The head of the local federal government, Emiliano García-Page, stated the death toll had actually increased to 68, while rescuers looking for other victims as darkness fell did not understand if other casualties would be found when the carriages were moved.

Guests, some splashed with blood or bandaged, were left along a close-by roadway after the crash, which Spain’s health minister, Monica Garcia, stated had actually hurt 80 individuals, 15 of them really seriously.

Salvador Arriza explained the turmoil in his carriage.

“I was very close to the door, but (other passengers) were breaking the windows to be able to get out. Some people practically couldn’t move because they were trapped amongst the seats,” stated the 62-year-old.

EXAMINATION UNDER WAY

The catastrophe, the most dangerous train mishap in Europe considering that a 2013 derailment in Spain’s Santiago de Compostela in which 80 individuals passed away, follows another deadly mishap in January including high-speed trains run by the exact same business on the exact same line, in which 46 individuals passed away.

Because accident, a train hindered and smashed into an approaching train, triggering an argument over financial investment in train upkeep.

Renfe stated on Wednesday that after being authorised to continue its journey, its train had actually crashed into the Iryo train that had actually stayed fixed “for reasons we don’t know”

“The Renfe train continued on its way as instructed, and a collision occurred. The exact sequence of events, the traffic conditions and the circumstances of the impact will have to be established by the investigation,” Renfe stated in a declaration.

Iryo, which stated it had actually triggered emergency situation procedures, and state-owned facilities operator Adif did not react to ask for remark.

GUESTS SENT FLYING

A Castilla-La Mancha federal government representative stated 147 individuals were on board the Iryo train and 397 on the Renfe service when the crash took place at about 9 a.m. (0800 GMT), thwarting 2 Iryo carriages.

Traveler Rafael Barcelo stated he felt fortunate as he had actually stepped far from his seat for a coffee, including there had actually been at least 8 victims from his carriage.

“We were having breakfast, drinking a coffee when we felt a very strong impact and ‌we were sent flying,” he stated.

At a school in Urda where loved ones had actually been directed, a lady who provided her name as Ana resisted tears as she stated there was still no news of her hubby, Pepe. His name was not amongst those determined, although cops had actually discovered their pet, Trece.

Renfe stated it had actually opened an unique line for households of victims. The train operator stated it had actually suspended ticket sales on the Madrid-Andalusia high-speed passage till December 13.

UPKEEP SPENDING

An initial Civil Guard report in February indicated problems in the track, rail or a weld in between 2 areas of track as the leading theory behind January’s mishap, though private investigators kept 7 other possibilities open.

Spain’s train security authority has actually reported that mishaps, consisting of derailments and crashes, increased from 45 in 2016 to 57 in 2024 and 69 in 2015.

A Reuters analysis of information from the Spanish competitors authority revealed some 25 million travelers utilized a high-speed train in Spain in the very first half of 2026, a drop of around 14% compared to the very same duration in 2015.

European Commission information reveals Spain’s upkeep financial investment in its approximately 4,000 km (2,485 miles) of high-speed lines has actually lagged other big European nations.

Spain invested an average of about EUR1.5 billion a year on its high-speed network in between 2018 and 2022, more than any other European nation, many of that cash went towards brand-new building. Just about 16% was allocated for upkeep, renewals and upgrades.

(Reporting by David Latona, Emma Pinedo, Mireia Merino, Corina Pons, Victoria Waldersee, Benjamin Mejias, Joan Faus and Pietro Lombardi; Writing by Charlie Devereux and Alexander Smith; Editing by Toby Chopra, Alison Williams and Ros Russell)