AT least 68 people have been killed after two high-speed trains collided in central Spain, with rescue workers searching through the wreckage for more victims.
The crash occurred at about 8:53am local time on Wednesday, October 28, near Urda in Toledo province, when a train operated by Spain’s state-owned railway company, Renfe, struck a stationary train operated by private company Iryo.
According to reports, the collision derailed several carriages, with some plunging down an embankment and leaving wreckage scattered across the area.
The regional government of Castilla-La Mancha confirmed the death toll, with different reports putting the number of injured between 58 and 80, including 50 who were seriously injured.
According to regional authorities, the Iryo train was carrying 147 passengers, while 397 people were aboard the Renfe train.
Speaking on the incident, Spain’s Transport Minister, Óscar Puente, said the collision occurred after a computer malfunction disrupted a railway safety system, bringing trains operating along a 63-kilometre stretch of track to a stop.
Puente said the central control centre subsequently authorised the Renfe train to resume its journey despite a red stop signal remaining active on the line.
He described the decision to allow the train to proceed without speed restrictions as “inexplicable”, adding that investigators were examining the circumstances surrounding the incident.
According to the minister, the collision occurred after the Renfe train was authorised to move again, while the Iryo train remained stationary on the track.
He said investigators were still examining the train’s speed at the time of impact, which could have reached 200 kilometres per hour.
Renfe, one of the train companies involved, has also said the train had continued its journey after receiving authorisation but collided with the Iryo train, which remained stationary for reasons the company said were not yet known.
“The exact sequence of events, the traffic conditions and the circumstances of the impact will have to be established by the investigation,” the company said.
Reuters reported that a person briefed on the incident said the Iryo train had stopped following instructions from Adif, Spain’s railway infrastructure manager, because of a signalling fault.
Meanwhile, Wednesday’s collision is Spain’s second major deadly high-speed rail accident this year, following a crash near Adamuz in Córdoba province on January 18 that killed 46 people, according to Reuters.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M