ALBAWABA- The death toll from Wednesday’s collision between two high-speed trains in central Spain has risen to at least 70, with dozens more injured and rescue workers continuing to search the wreckage.
King Felipe VI has issued a Royal Decree declaring three days of national mourning following the deadly train collision in central Spain. The mourning period runs from midnight on October 29 until midnight on October 31, 2026, with national flags to be flown at half-mast on all public buildings and Navy vessels.
The crash, one of the country’s deadliest rail disasters in decades, derailed several carriages and sent some tumbling down an embankment, as authorities warned that the number of victims could increase.
The collision occurred on the Madrid–Andalusia high-speed line near Urda, in Toledo province, about 130 kilometers south of Madrid. A Renfe AVE train travelling from Madrid to Seville struck the rear of a stationary Iryo train, derailing several carriages.
The two trains were carrying a combined 544 people, according to regional authorities. The Renfe service had 397 passengers on board, while the Iryo train was carrying 147 passengers, including an infant.
Castilla-La Mancha’s regional government confirmed at least 68 deaths, while dozens more people were reported injured. Emergency services, firefighters, police and military rescue personnel were deployed to the scene, focusing on the most severely damaged carriages.
Transport Minister Óscar Puente said the sequence of events leading to the collision appeared to involve a failure in the train-protection system followed by an “inexplicable” decision by the rail control center. According to his preliminary account, a computer malfunction caused the LZB safety system to fail along a 63-kilometre stretch of track, automatically bringing trains in the affected section to a halt.
At least 64 people have been killed and dozens seriously injured after two high-speed trains collided in central Spain, in the country’s deadliest rail disaster since 2013, prompting a major rescue operation and renewed scrutiny...
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The control center subsequently authorized the Renfe train to resume its journey without speed restrictions, although a stop signal remained active and the Iryo train was still stationary ahead, Puente said.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez travelled to the accident site and announced three days of official mourning beginning Thursday. He expressed condolences to the victims and their families, pledging a full investigation and saying that any negligence uncovered would be addressed. Sánchez also said Spain should not have to endure two deadly high-speed rail accidents in the same year.
Dr. Mansour Al-Maswari is Postdoctoral Fellow at Columbia University-Global Center, Amman. A Yemeni academician with a Ph.D. in English "Comparative Literature" and two MA degrees, one in political science and the other in English, Dr. Al-Maswari possesses more than 17 years of extensive experience in university-level teaching, research, research reviewing, bilingual translation, and copy-writing...
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