MADRID: The Spain High-Speed Train Crash has killed at least 68 people and injured dozens more after two passenger trains collided in central Spain, triggering one of the country’s deadliest railway disasters in recent years.
The accident occurred shortly after 9:00 a.m. local time, approximately 140 kilometres south of Madrid, when a train travelling from Madrid to Seville collided with another train that had stopped on the tracks. The impact sent several carriages down an embankment, trapping passengers inside the wreckage.
According to Spain’s Transport Minister Óscar Puente, the stationary train, operated by private rail company Iryo, was carrying 147 passengers when it stopped following a reported computer failure. The second train, operated by state-owned railway company Renfe, was carrying 397 passengers.
Spain High-Speed Train Crash: Computer Failure and Human Error Under Investigation
Transport Minister Óscar Puente said a computer failure followed by human error contributed to the disaster. He explained that a control centre in Madrid was responsible for managing operations during system failures but questioned the decision to allow the trains to move again without speed restrictions.
The circumstances surrounding the collision remain under investigation.
Iryo said its train was struck from behind by the Renfe-operated service. The force of the impact caused extensive damage to the carriages and complicated rescue efforts.
Survivors Describe Scenes of Panic and Devastation
Survivors described terrifying scenes as passengers were thrown from their seats, trapped beneath debris and forced to smash windows to escape the wreckage.
Salvador Arriza, 62, who was travelling on the Renfe train, described the impact as extremely violent. Speaking to Reuters, he said passengers broke windows to get out, while others remained trapped among the seats.
One carriage caught fire, and witnesses reported seeing injured passengers crying for help amid smoke and debris. Images from the scene also showed a section of railway track piercing through one of the carriages.
Tangui Binier, 22, a passenger on the Iryo train, told the BBC that luggage flew through the carriage as passengers screamed during the collision. He described confusion and heavy smoke after the train came to a halt.
Binier also recalled seeing an overturned carriage and said his father helped carry a girl who had suffered a broken hip out of the wreckage.
The disaster has raised serious questions about railway safety and operational procedures. Investigators are working to establish the precise sequence of events that led to the collision and determine responsibility for the deadly accident.
