Spain has begun three days of national mourning following a devastating high-speed train collision that killed 68 people and left dozens injured, raising renewed concerns about railway safety.
The crash occurred on Wednesday morning in Castilla-La Mancha, central Spain, when a train operated by state-owned Renfe struck the back of a stationary train belonging to private operator Iryo on a key route between Madrid and Seville.
Emergency crews worked through the night to search the wreckage for victims, using cranes to move twisted metal and debris. Relatives gathered at a nearby school in Urda to seek information about missing loved ones, while support teams provided psychological assistance.
Survivors described scenes of chaos inside the carriages, with passengers thrown to the floor, seats ripped apart and luggage scattered throughout the wreckage. Pablo Mejia, 42, who suffered head injuries, said a last-minute change of seat may have saved his life.
Spanish Transport Minister Oscar Puente said an automatic control system had failed along a 69-kilometre stretch of track, bringing train movements to a halt. He questioned the decision to resume traffic despite the reported problem, saying the circumstances surrounding the collision remained unexplained.
The disaster comes after another high-speed rail collision in southern Spain in January killed 46 people. That incident is still under investigation.
The latest tragedy has intensified scrutiny of Spain’s railway network as authorities work to establish what caused the collision and identify all the victims.