In a tragic incident, 50 people were reportedly killed after two high-speed trains collided in Spain on the route connecting Madrid with the southern region of Andalusia. According to local media outlet ABC.es, at least 50 passengers lost their lives, with the death toll feared to rise as several others sustained serious injuries. The accident occurred on the Madrid-Andalusia high-speed rail line near Urda, where a Renfe AVE train and an Iryo train collided, prompting a major emergency response involving local, regional and national authorities.
The tragedy comes just nine months after a previous accident involving high-speed trains operated by the same companies on the same route, which also claimed 46 lives.
As the investigation unfolds, local media reports citing railway officials have suggested that human error may have caused the collision. According to ABC.es, sources within Spain’s Ministry of Transport indicated that an employee of the state-owned railway company, who was working to repair a fault in the main signalling system, may have failed to alert the AVE high-speed train to the approaching Iryo train. However, the circumstances surrounding the incident and the reported cause remain subject to official investigation.
Spanish President responds to fatal train collision
Spanish President Pedro Sanchez responded with shock on social media and said he has been in constant touch with Transport Minister Oscar Puente. Emergency services are working on the ground to assist those affected and ensure their safety, in coordination with all the involved administrations, added the President.
How did the fatal train accident happen?
According to information obtained by ABC from sources within Spain’s Ministry of Transport, a technician was working to repair a fault in the signalling system when the system allegedly failed to alert the AVE high-speed train to the presence of the other train nearby. Based on preliminary findings, the Civil Guard believes both trains were stationary when the AVE was reportedly instructed to resume its journey, without its crew being informed that the Iryo train remained stopped directly ahead.
45 killed in January train crash
The accident involved a train from Spain's state-owned RENFE company and the private rail company IRYO. Trains from those two companies were also involved in a deadly crash in January. Official said that 397 passengers were in the RENFE train and 147 passengers in the IRYO train.
In January, 45 people died in southern Spain when a train jumped the track and hit an oncoming train. The crash was the deadliest in Spain since a 2013 crash that killed 80 people. The January incident shook the confidence the European country has in its extensive high-speed rail network.
(With inputs from agency)
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