At Least 68 Killed in Spain Train Crash: What We Know About the Deadly Collision

Collision in Toledo province

The crash happened Wednesday morning on a flat stretch between Urda and Los Yébenes, surrounded by olive fields, ADIF said. Two high-speed trains were traveling in the same direction from Madrid to Seville when one hit the back of the other while it was stopped, Padilla told state broadcaster TVE.

The impact knocked two cars off the track. At least 68 people died, according to local authorities. Wreckage and debris spread down a gravel slope, with carriages torn apart.

Rail services were suspended between Madrid, Ciudad Real and Andalusia. Authorities were still examining data to determine the train’s speed; Puente said it could have been traveling at 200 kph (124 mph).

System failure under investigation

Puente said a computer malfunction stopped the security system on a 63-kilometer (39-mile) stretch at 8:30 a.m., bringing all trains there to a halt. Central command then told the RENFE train to resume running without speed restrictions.

At 8:53 a.m., that train collided with the stopped IRYO train, according to Puente. Authorities were studying the available information as they investigated the circumstances.

Passengers describe the impact

García said passengers felt the train slow abruptly before the collision. He recalled that the car tilted to one side, luggage and phones flew, and he hit his nose.

A passenger told Cadena Ser radio that she was thrown forward when the train braked, breaking the small table in front of her. She said she saw injured people and others trapped.

National mourning and recent crash

Sánchez also said Spain had suffered two high-speed rail accidents in the same year. In January, 45 people died in southern Spain when a train left the tracks and hit an oncoming train; the crash was the country’s deadliest since a 2013 accident that killed 80 people.