Spain began three days of mourning on Thursday after the collision of a second high-speed train this year resulted in the deaths of 68 people and injuries to several others. This incident is considered one of the deadliest rail disasters in Europe this century and occurred on Wednesday morning in the central region of Castilla-La Mancha.
Details of the Collision
In this incident, a train operated by the state-owned Renfe collided with the rear of a stationary train belonging to the private Spanish operator Iryo. Spanish officials, particularly Transport Minister Óscar Puente, reported an unexplained "error" in the automatic control system. He stated that the control system had been malfunctioning for 69 kilometers, which led to the stoppage of all trains on that route, but the control center decided to "resume traffic" despite these conditions.
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Response to the Incident and Support for Families
Emergency services continued their work throughout the night, using cranes to remove the wreckage from the key tracks connecting Madrid to the southern city of Seville. Survivors of the incident, including 42-year-old Pablo Mejía, shared their experiences, stating that a sudden change of seat saved his life. He described the incident as a "very strong blow" and said, "Many people were on the ground, and there was a lot of chaos."
In the village of Orda, about 130 kilometers south of Madrid, a school has been used as an information center for families seeking news about their loved ones. Red Cross teams at this location are providing psychological support and assisting families. Additionally, the National Guard has set up offices in Madrid, Toledo, Córdoba, and Seville to collect DNA samples from families to identify the missing.
In January, two high-speed trains collided in the southern region of Andalusia after one train veered onto an adjacent track, resulting in the deaths of 46 people. Investigations into this incident are ongoing, and the left-wing Spanish government is facing severe criticism regarding its management of the rail network. This new tragedy occurred less than a month before early general elections on November 29.
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