Authorities: Four US citizens, Canada and Japan nationals among dead in Spain train crash

Victims identified across countries

A legal body made up of police and forensic experts announced the latest confirmed foreign victims late Sunday. Four US citizens and one person each from Canada, Japan, Argentina, Mexico, Tunisia and the Czech Republic were among the dead.

Authorities had previously confirmed the deaths of a French and a Portuguese citizen, along with 54 Spaniards. All but three victims have now been identified, the body said.

Three missing-person reports remain active, concerning two Australians and one Japanese citizen. The authorities said families had asked to travel to Spain for in-person identification, and officials are awaiting their arrival.

Collision near Urda

The crash happened outside Urda, a village about 130km south of Madrid. A Renfe train struck the rear of a stationary train operated by Spanish company Iryo. A failure in an automatic safety system stopped trains along a 63km stretch of track. A control centre then authorised the Renfe service to continue while the other train remained stationary.

The disaster killed 69 people and was described as one of Europe’s deadliest rail accidents this century. Relatives faced a prolonged wait as forensic teams worked to identify victims, sometimes using individual body parts.

Renewed scrutiny of rail safety

The collision was Spain’s second high-speed train crash this year, raising fresh questions about rail safety. A January crash in the southern region of Andalusia killed 46 people.

The latest disaster occurred one month before the 29 November general election. Socialist leader Pedro Sánchez is seeking to extend his eight-year premiership amid unfavourable polls.