Spain Begins Three-Day Mourning After Train Crash

Spain has begun three days of national mourning on Thursday after a high-speed train collision killed 68 people and injured dozens.

The crash, which happened on Wednesday, has raised new concerns about rail safety in Spain, following another deadly train accident earlier this year. Families are still searching for information about missing loved ones.

The collision happened on Wednesday morning in Castilla-La Mancha, central Spain. A train operated by state-owned Renfe struck the back of a stationary train belonging to private operator Iryo.

Emergency teams worked through the night to search the wreckage along the railway line linking Madrid with Seville. They used cranes to lift twisted metal and reach areas where more victims could be trapped.

Police drones resumed flights over the crash site at daybreak near the village of Urda. Survivors have described the terrifying moments of the collision.

Authorities have opened support centres for relatives seeking information about missing passengers. A school in Urda, about 130 kilometres south of Madrid, is being used to receive families.

Red Cross workers and psychologists are helping relatives cope with the tragedy. The Civil Guard has also opened offices in Madrid, Toledo, Cordoba and Seville. Relatives can provide DNA samples to help identify missing victims. Blood donation centres have also been set up in Castilla-La Mancha and Madrid.

Meanwhile, questions are mounting over the cause of the crash. Transport Minister Oscar Puente said an automatic control system had failed along 69 kilometres of railway track, forcing trains in the area to stop. However, he questioned why the control centre allowed traffic to resume.

“The control centre had more than enough time to verify the error, and they did not fix it,” Puente said.

He added that the circumstances surrounding the decision to resume train services were “inexplicable”.

The latest collision comes after another high-speed rail disaster in Spain in January. That accident occurred in Andalusia after a train derailed and crossed onto an adjoining track, killing 46 people. Investigations into the January crash are still ongoing. The government has faced criticism over its management of the country’s rail network.

Spain observed three days of mourning, with flags flying at half-mast and public events cancelled or scaled back in honour of the victims.

The latest disaster also comes about a month before Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez faces a general election scheduled for November 29. His government has faced pressure over railway safety as it seeks to extend its eight-year period in office.