At least 68 people have been killed and around 80 injured after two high-speed trains collided in central Spain on Wednesday, October 28.
The Spain train crash occurred near Urda in Toledo province, south of Madrid, on a railway line connecting the capital with Seville.
Regional authorities said approximately 50 people suffered serious injuries, including 15 in critical condition. Officials warned that the death toll could rise.
The collision has prompted a major emergency response and renewed concerns about railway safety in Spain.
Spain train crash leaves dozens dead
According to Al Jazeera, citing Spanish authorities and Reuters, the accident happened when a high-speed train struck the rear of another train that had stopped on the tracks.
Both trains were travelling in the same direction when the collision occurred.
The impact caused several carriages to derail, leaving passengers trapped inside damaged sections of the trains.
The accident involved an AVE high-speed train operated by Spain’s state railway company Renfe and another train operated by private company Iryo.
Authorities said the Renfe train was carrying 397 passengers, while the Iryo train had 147 people on board.
Emergency services reported that two carriages from the Iryo train fell down an embankment.
Rescue teams continued searching the wreckage for survivors and recovering victims.
Spain declares three days of mourning
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez visited the crash site and announced three days of national mourning from October 29 to 31.
He promised a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the collision.
Sanchez said authorities would establish whether negligence or technical failures contributed to the disaster.
More than 200 members of Spain’s Military Emergencies Unit were deployed to support rescue operations.
Emergency medical teams and firefighters from Madrid also joined the response.
Meanwhile, hospitals across the region received injured passengers, including several in critical condition.
Local authorities and volunteers provided food and essential supplies to those affected.
Signalling failure raises safety concerns
Spanish Transport Minister Oscar Puente revealed that a signalling system had failed before the collision.
The LZB train control system reportedly stopped working at approximately 8:30am along a 63-kilometre section of the railway.
The failure affected several trains operating on the route.
According to Puente, railway control was transferred to Madrid’s Atocha control centre, where officials authorised a Renfe train to continue its journey.
The minister described the circumstances surrounding the decision as difficult to explain.
However, investigators have not yet established whether the signalling failure directly caused the collision.
Spain’s Civil Guard has launched an investigation into the disaster.
High-speed rail services suspended
Spain’s railway infrastructure operator, ADIF, suspended high-speed services between Madrid and the southern region of Andalusia following the crash.
The disruption affected passengers travelling between major cities, including Madrid and Seville.
The collision comes nine months after another serious high-speed rail accident involving trains operated by the same companies on the same route.
That earlier disaster killed 46 people.
Spanish authorities have said the causes of the two incidents appear unrelated.
Nevertheless, the latest tragedy has intensified scrutiny of the country’s railway infrastructure and safety procedures.
European leaders express condolences
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed condolences to the victims’ families and said Europe stood in solidarity with Spain.
French President Emmanuel Macron also offered support to the Spanish people and emergency workers.
Spanish officials said rescue and recovery operations would continue as investigators worked to establish the cause of the collision.
With several passengers remaining critically injured, authorities warned that the number of fatalities could increase.