69 deaths confirmed in high-speed train collision in Spain — Interia

Near Urda, about 130 kilometers south of Madrid, the deaths of 69 people have been confirmed following a collision between two high-speed trains. As Interia reports, the website of the body investigating the accident initially published information about 74 deaths, but this was quickly corrected.

Collision on the Madrid—Seville line

The accident occurred on Wednesday morning on the line between Madrid and Seville. A train operated by the state carrier Renfe crashed into the rear of a train belonging to the private company Iryo, which was standing on the track.

The victims' families are providing DNA samples to identify those killed. Fifty-two bodies were taken to Toledo, while the local morgue is designed to hold 30. Therefore, the military set up a temporary morgue with tents and refrigerated containers. Searches at the crash site were conducted with the involvement of service dogs and drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras.

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Investigators examine operation of control system

Transport Minister Óscar Puente said that before the collision, a malfunction occurred in the automatic control system, prompting train traffic to be halted on the relevant section. Later, the control center decided to resume traffic, after which the Renfe train traveled about 25 kilometers and collided with the Iryo train. The minister described the circumstances in which permission was granted for further travel as unclear.

A court in Orgaz ordered that the recorders from both trains be preserved and that documents be collected from the Adif control center in Madrid. The investigation is to establish the sequence of events and those responsible for the accident.

King Felipe VI visited the victims at a hospital in Toledo and called for the circumstances of the tragedy to be thoroughly clarified. Among the dead is former Minister of Employment and Social Security Fátima Báñez, whose death was confirmed by the CEOE employers' organization.