NAIROBI, Kenya – Spain began three days of national mourning on Thursday after a collision between two high-speed trains killed at least 68 people, with investigators examining why a train was allowed to resume movement after a railway safety system failed.
Emergency crews worked through the night at the crash site near Urda in Toledo province, cutting through mangled carriages and searching the wreckage for victims. Authorities were also working to identify the dead and reunite missing passengers with their families.
The disaster happened on Wednesday morning when a high-speed train operated by Spain’s state-owned Renfe struck the rear of a stationary train belonging to private operator Iryo on the line connecting Madrid and Seville.
The impact derailed carriages, some of which fell down an embankment, leaving passengers trapped amid twisted metal and debris.
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced the mourning period as the country grappled with one of its deadliest railway disasters in decades.
“The whole of Spain is grieving,” Sánchez said, describing the human cost as immense and pledging that the circumstances surrounding the collision would be investigated.
Investigators focus on decision to restart train
Transport Minister Óscar Puente said the investigation was examining an “inexplicable” decision by the railway control centre in Madrid to allow the Renfe train to resume normal movement after a technical failure affected the signalling and safety system.
According to Puente, the failure had halted trains on a section of the line. The central control centre subsequently authorised the Renfe service to proceed despite the system problem.
The minister said investigators were examining how that decision was made and whether the appropriate safety procedures had been followed. He indicated that the train drivers were not being blamed for the incident at that stage.
The Iryo train had 147 passengers aboard, while the Renfe service was carrying hundreds more. The collision sent carriages off the tracks and triggered a major emergency response involving rescue workers, police and medical teams.
Authorities deployed helicopters, drones and heavy equipment as emergency personnel searched the wreckage. Hospitals treated dozens of injured passengers, while officials established arrangements to help relatives obtain information about missing family members.
The Spanish Civil Guard also opened reporting and assistance offices in Madrid, Toledo, Seville and Córdoba to help with missing-person reports and victim identification.
Second deadly rail disaster in the same year
The crash has renewed scrutiny of railway safety in Spain, which suffered another deadly high-speed rail accident in January that killed 46 people near Córdoba.
Sánchez described the recurrence of two major rail disasters in one year as unacceptable, while calling for measures to restore public confidence in the network. Authorities have stressed that the causes of the two accidents must be established through their respective investigations.
The latest collision also disrupted services on the Madrid–Andalusia corridor. Renfe announced alternative travel arrangements for passengers while high-speed services remained suspended on the affected section.
Political pressure grows amid public anger
The disaster has intensified pressure on Spain’s transport authorities, with political parties and members of the public demanding answers about the condition and management of the railway network.
Opposition People’s Party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo said Spaniards had a right to know what was happening with the country’s infrastructure.
Vox leader Santiago Abascal, meanwhile, said his party would not participate in what he described as efforts to use the mourning period to suppress criticism of railway safety.
Protests were also reported in Madrid, where demonstrators gathered outside the Transport Ministry and called for political accountability. The government faces questions over the decisions that preceded the collision, although the investigation has yet to establish the full chain of responsibility.
The tragedy also came as railway drivers prepared to proceed with planned industrial action over safety concerns. The Spanish Union of Railway Drivers, Semaf, said the strike was intended to defend railway safety.
Across Europe, European Union flags were lowered to half-mast in a gesture of solidarity with Spain during the mourning period.
As rescue and identification efforts continued, the immediate priorities remained accounting for all passengers, supporting bereaved families and establishing how a collision between two high-speed trains was allowed to happen.
The findings of the investigation are expected to be central to determining whether failures in railway systems, operational decisions or other factors contributed to the disaster.
