A high-speed passenger train rear-ended another near Toledo, Spain, on Wednesday, killing at least 68 people and injuring dozens. It was one of the deadliest train crashes in the country's history. The collision comes months after another deadly train crash in southern Spain that involved the same carriers, killing 46 people in January.
The accident on Wednesday was the third fatal train crash in Spain this year, adding to deep concern about the safety of the country's extensive rail system. Around 9 a.m., a train belonging to the private rail operator Iryo was stopped on the tracks near Toledo when a train operated by Spain's national rail company, Renfe, barreled into it. Both trains were covering the route between Madrid, the capital, and the southern city of Seville.
Oscar Puente, Spain's transportation minister, said the crash appeared to result from an "inexplicable" decision by traffic control operators to tell the Renfe train to continue its journey when the other train was stopped farther along the tracks. Passengers told local news outlets that the impact tossed people around cabins. Some crawled out of windows and lay in a nearby field, where local workers rushed to help.
Video verified by The New York Times showed smoke rising from a charred, mangled carriage on the slope by the rail line. Dozens of Civil Guard officers, some wearing white protective suits, inspected the scene. Both trains sustained substantial damage.
The nose of the Renfe train, traveling to Seville, appeared destroyed. Three rear carriages of the Iryo train appeared derailed, two overturned. More than 50 people were injured.
Some 397 passengers were aboard the Renfe train and about 150 aboard the Iryo train. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez traveled to the scene, saying it was not possible for a country like Spain to suffer two high-speed train accidents in one year, adding that rail's security systems clearly needed to be reinforced. With national elections set for the end of November, the crash has the potential to become an issue in an already bitter campaign.
Conservative opposition leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo wrote on social media that the priority is to assist victims and support their families. Spain's history with train collisions includes a January crash killing 46 people, a 2013 accident near Santiago de Compostela killing 80, and other deadly incidents.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing