The collision occurred roughly 130 km south of Madrid in Castilla-La Mancha when the moving Renfe train traveled about 25 km before striking the stopped Iryo service. Emergency teams worked through the night with heavy machinery and cranes to extricate victims from the mangled wreckage. With the disaster marking the nation's second fatal crash this year, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez declared three days of national mourning as unions demand resignations.
Key points
Transport officials are investigating why traffic was permitted to resume after an automa…: Transport officials are investigating why traffic was permitted to resume after an automatic control system failure halted a 69-km rail section.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez declared three days of national mourning following Spain's s…: Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez declared three days of national mourning following Spain's second fatal high-speed rail collision this year.
Transport Minister Oscar Puente faces intensifying political pressure and union calls for…: Transport Minister Oscar Puente faces intensifying political pressure and union calls for his resignation after two mass-casualty rail disasters in months.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
The crash occurred on Wednesday in Castilla-La Mancha, about 130 km south of Madrid, when a train operated by state rail company Renfe slammed into the rear of a stationary service run by private operator Iryo.
Also Read: Spain trade union demands transport minister's resignation after train crash kills 68
More than 100 people were injured, and emergency crews worked through the night to search the mangled wreckage, as per AFP.
Control system failure, traffic resumes
Transport Minister Oscar Puente said an automatic control system had failed across a 69-km stretch of track, forcing trains to stop.The control centre later authorised traffic to resume in circumstances he described as "inexplicable," AFP reported.
The Renfe train travelled about 25 km before striking the stationary Iryo service and the precise sequence of events and the reasons behind the collision are currently under investigation.
Emergency crews used cranes to remove twisted metal and search for victims, while survivors described scenes of chaos inside the carriages, with passengers thrown on top of one another, seats torn out and luggage scattered around.
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