Spain has begun three days of national mourning after a serious train crash in the province of Toledo that killed at least 68 people and injured dozens. A high-speed train operated by state-owned railway company Renfe crashed into a stopped train operated by private operator Iryo on the key line between Madrid and Seville.
The crash occurred about 140 kilometers south of Madrid. The Renfe train was traveling to Seville and was carrying 397 passengers. The stopped Iryo train had 147 people on board. The force of the impact threw several carriages onto the embankment by the line, and rescue teams worked through the night among the badly damaged trains.
Computer failure and human error
Spanish Transport Minister Oscar Puente said the Iryo train had stopped due to a computer failure. He said a control center in Madrid then ordered the train to resume without speed restrictions.
Puente described the incident as a combination of "error" and "unexplained circumstances". The causes of the crash are yet to be determined in an investigation. No charges have been filed so far.
Passengers described chaotic scenes after the impact. Josimar Medina, 31, said he was sleeping on the Renfe train when "I woke up and I was in the air." Another passenger, Pablo Mejia, said changing his seat at the last minute probably saved his life.
Relatives seek information about missing people
A school in the nearby town of Urda has been turned into a center for relatives of passengers. Red Cross teams are working there, and psychologists are providing assistance to people waiting for information about their relatives.
The Civil Guard has set up offices in Madrid, Toledo, Cordoba and Seville where relatives can provide DNA samples to identify the dead and those wanted. Blood donation stations have also been set up in the Castilla-La Mancha region and in Madrid.
The crash is the second fatal collision involving high-speed trains in Spain this year. It has raised new questions about the safety of the rail network, which until recently was considered one of the most developed in Europe.
Sources: bbc.com, rte.ie