Health1 min read

Spain begins mourning period after deadly train crash

By · Via The Guardian · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The collision occurred on Wednesday morning when a state-owned Renfe train rear-ended a stationary Iryo service, derailing several carriages and hospitalizing 107 people. Search efforts continued through the night with cranes, though emergency personnel warned that more victims might be trapped at the bottom of the wreckage. Authorities established an inquiry center at an Urda school and four Civil Guard DNA collection centers to identify victims, who include a former government minister and foreign tourists. This tragedy marks the second deadly collision between these two operators on this exact rail corridor this year, following a crash that killed 46 people in January.

Key points

  • The catastrophe represents the second fatal collision involving Renfe and Iryo trains on…: The catastrophe represents the second fatal collision involving Renfe and Iryo trains on the Madrid-Andalusia route this year.
  • Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez pledged severe accountability if investigators prove securit…: Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez pledged severe accountability if investigators prove security lapses or negligence caused the collision.
  • Opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo demanded both an immediate official inquiry and a…: Opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo demanded both an immediate official inquiry and a broader independent review of Spanish railway infrastructure.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

Spain has begun three days of mourning after a high-speed rail collision – its second this year – killed 68 people and injured scores, with relatives desperately seeking news about their loved ones.

The trains, one from Spain’s state-owned Renfe and the other from the private rail company Iryo, were travelling on Wednesday morning in the same direction on the line that stretches from the Spanish capital, Madrid, to the southern region of Andalusia. After the Iryo train came to a halt, the other slammed into its rear, knocking several carriages off the track near the town of Urda.

Officials said on Wednesday another 107 people had needed medical treatment in hospital, including 15 who were in a serious condition.

The disaster has raised fresh questions about safety on Spain’s rail network after the transport minister reported an “error” and “inexplicable circumstances” that led to the crash.

Emergency services combed through the wreckage overnight to find further victims, hoisting pieces of mangled metal with cranes, according to Agence France-Presse.

Emiliano García-Page, the leader of the Castilla-La Mancha regional government, told…

Health