Spain train collision: at least 68 dead as search continues
· BehindLines newsroom
At least 68 people died when two high-speed trains collided on 28 October in Spain's Toledo province. The toll remains provisional: Reuters, carried by ThePrint, describes crews searching the wreckage carriage by carriage. ABC also reports that number, confirmed by the Castilla-La Mancha regional government.
Two trains between Urda and Los Yébenes
According to ABC, a train operated by state-owned Renfe struck the rear of a stationary Iryo train. The collision happened between Urda and Los Yébenes, south of Madrid, on a high-speed line in central Spain. Carriages derailed.
ABC reports 397 passengers aboard the Renfe train and 147 aboard the Iryo service. These are passenger counts, not casualty figures. Ambulances, helicopters and an emergency military brigade were deployed. A local sports centre was used to care for injured people.
Questions over permission to proceed
Reuters reports initial explanations from transport minister Óscar Puente: the Renfe train was reportedly allowed to move again despite a red signal associated with a train stopped ahead. The minister described a computer communications failure followed by a mistaken decision.
That is the minister's account at an early stage of the investigation, rather than an independent finding of responsibility. ABC says the authorities were still trying to establish the train's speed; no speed is therefore established.
Investigators must distinguish the crashes
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, quoted by Reuters, promised an investigation and action on any failings identified. He said the causes appeared different from those of another crash in January.
The involvement of the same operators does not establish a shared cause. Both the human toll and the technical account still require updates based on the rescue operation and the investigation's findings.