Follow our live coverage of the Spanish train disaster here.
A high-speed passenger train slammed into the back of a stationary train in Spain on Wednesday morning (Spanish time), in one of the deadliest train crashes in Spanish history . As authorities investigate what went wrong, here’s what we know about the rail disaster.
The crash occurred near Urda, in the province of Toledo, about 130 kilometres south of Madrid, in central Spain.
It involved two high-speed trains travelling in the same direction from Madrid to Seville. At the time, one of the trains was stationary.
According to Spain’s Transport Minister Óscar Puente, a computer failure at 8.30am on Wednesday brought six trains to a halt along a 63-kilometre stretch of track, including the two trains involved in the crash.
Shortly afterwards, a rail control centre authorised the Renfe train to resume its journey without speed restrictions. It slammed into the stationary Iryo train at 8.53am, derailing several carriages and sending two down an embankment.
According to Spanish media, the two trains were carrying a total of 544 passengers.
At least 68 people have been confirmed dead, with authorities warning the toll could rise as rescuers search the wreckage.
The latest reports indicate at least 108 people were injured, including 58 seriously. A major rescue operation is ongoing at the crash site near Urda, as hundreds of anxious families await news.
The Spanish government’s early statements indicate that as many as six trains on the same line had been stopped at some point on Wednesday morning due to problems with the signalling system.
Puente described the decision to allow the Renfe train to proceed, despite a red signal, as “inexplicable”. He said the train drivers were not to blame.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez declared three days of national mourning, saying “all of Spain” was grieving. He promised a thorough investigation and pledged support for victims and their families.
In January, 46 people were killed near Adamuz, in the province of Córdoba, when a high-speed Iryo train derailed and collided with an oncoming Renfe service.
In July 2013, 80 people died when a train derailed on a sharp bend near Santiago de Compostela in north-western Spain while travelling at excessive speed.
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