Spain declares three days of mourning after train collision kills 68

MADRID: Spain has declared three days of national mourning after a devastating train collision killed at least 68 people and injured dozens more in one of the country’s deadliest railway disasters in recent history.

Emergency workers continued rescue and recovery operations throughout the night, using powerful floodlights and specialised equipment to cut through twisted metal and reach passengers trapped inside damaged carriages. Authorities were also working to identify the victims, with several casualties yet to be formally identified.

The accident occurred on Wednesday morning when a high-speed train travelling from Madrid to Seville struck a stationary passenger train. The impact caused several carriages to derail, with some plunging down an embankment.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed grief over the tragedy, saying the disaster had devastated families across the country. He said the nation was mourning the loss of lives and offered condolences to those affected.

Spain’s Interior Ministry deployed hundreds of emergency personnel to the crash site. Rescue teams used drones, helicopters and heavy equipment to search the wreckage, locate victims and clear debris.

According to Transport Minister Óscar Puente, the stationary train, operated by private railway company Iryo, was carrying 147 passengers when it stopped on the tracks following a reported computer failure. The minister said a control centre in Madrid was responsible for managing operations during system failures but described the subsequent decision to allow trains to move without speed restrictions as inexplicable.

Audio recordings between railway controllers and train drivers reportedly indicate that a high-speed train received permission to proceed despite another train being stopped ahead. Investigators are examining the communications and operational decisions that preceded the collision.

Iryo said its train had been struck from behind by a train operated by state-owned railway company Renfe. The Renfe service was carrying 397 passengers at the time of the crash.

Survivors described scenes of panic inside the carriages, with injured passengers trapped in their seats, smoke spreading through the train and people crying for help. At least one carriage caught fire following the collision.

The disaster has renewed concerns about railway safety in Spain. Sánchez noted that the country had suffered another major rail accident in January, when 46 people were killed in a high-speed train crash near Córdoba. Both incidents occurred on the same railway line, although at different locations.

The latest tragedy also sparked protests in Madrid, where hundreds of people gathered outside the Transport Ministry to demand accountability. Demonstrators called for the resignation of Sánchez and Transport Minister Puente, according to Spanish media reports. Police used tear gas after some protesters reportedly threw bottles and flares. No injuries or arrests were immediately reported.

Meanwhile, Spain’s main railway drivers’ union, Semaf, said a planned strike would proceed on Thursday in support of railway safety. Opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo also called for answers about the condition of the country’s railway infrastructure.

Authorities have established missing-person reporting centres in Madrid, Toledo, Seville and Córdoba. The Civil Guard said identifying missing passengers and collecting DNA samples to help locate their relatives remained a priority.

Vigils were held near the crash site, where residents observed a minute’s silence in memory of the victims. European Union flags were also lowered to half-mast in Brussels as a gesture of solidarity with Spain.

The collision is the country’s deadliest rail disaster since 2013, when 80 people died in a train derailment near Santiago de Compostela. Investigations into the latest accident are continuing, with officials seeking to establish the precise sequence of events and determine responsibility.