Spain Faces Shock, Anger and Mourning After Deadly Major Train Crash—Second This Year

Crash leaves deadly wreckage

Survivors described a powerful impact that threw passengers into the air. One passenger said they had been having breakfast and coffee; the passenger was reasonably well, while a friend was in worse condition.

Families seek information

Nearly 400 passengers on the other train were thrown into chaos. A woman whose husband was aboard the train that left Madrid said they hurried to the scene after hearing about the accident. She said nobody there was telling her anything, and she did not know what had happened to her husband.

Rescue and investigation

Firefighters and a military unit searched the wreckage, digging by hand through broken seats and crushed steel. The collision was the second fatal train crash in Spain this year.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez visited the scene and pledged to find out what happened. He said authorities would act decisively if they found failures in the safety system.

Rail service suspended

High-speed trains between Madrid and the southern province of Andalusia were suspended. Spain has built one of the world’s larger high-speed rail networks around the promise of connecting cities quickly and safely. The latest crash has put that promise under strain for the second time in a year.