Spain has instituted three days of mourning following the central Castilla-La Mancha collision that killed 68 people. Emergency crews deployed heavy cranes overnight to extract trapped passengers, while officials set up a school reception centre in Urda and four Civil Guard DNA collection hubs to identify victims. Transport Minister Oscar Puente revealed that traffic had resumed following a 69-kilometre automated control shutdown despite the underlying issue remaining unresolved, enabling the train to travel 25 kilometres before impact.
Key points
The disaster marks the second fatal high-speed train collision in Spain this year followi…: The disaster marks the second fatal high-speed train collision in Spain this year following a January crash in Andalusia.
Rail safety oversight is facing immediate scrutiny over an inexplicable decision by the c…: Rail safety oversight is facing immediate scrutiny over an inexplicable decision by the control centre to restart train movements.
The mounting rail casualties arrive amid heightened political vulnerability for Prime Min…: The mounting rail casualties arrive amid heightened political vulnerability for Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez prior to the November 29 election.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
URDA, Spain: Spain began three days of mourning on Thursday (Oct 29) after its second high-speed rail collision this year killed 68 people and injured scores, with relatives desperately seeking news about their loved ones.
One of Europe's deadliest train disasters this century 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.
The collision happened in the central region of Castilla-La Mancha on Wednesday morning when a service by state operator Renfe ploughed into the back of a stationary train belonging to private Spanish company Iryo.
Emergency services combed through the wreckage at night to find further victims on the key line linking Madrid with the southern city of Seville, hoisting pieces of mangled metal with cranes, AFP reporters saw.
Josimar Medina, a 31-year-old Peruvian who was holidaying in Spain with his girlfriend, said he was sleeping on the Renfe train when "I woke up and I was in the air".
Pablo Mejia, 42, escaped with injuries to his head, telling AFP that a…
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