A high-speed collision near Urda, about 140km south of Madrid, killed at least 68 people on Wednesday morning. A state-run Renfe train struck the rear of a privately operated Iryo train, which was stopped on the track; several carriages derailed, and some fell down an embankment. More than 540 passengers were aboard the two trains. Authorities said 80 people were treated for injuries, including 50 in serious condition and 15 in critical condition. Rail services on the route were suspended, while emergency crews, hospitals and blood donation centres mobilised to help casualties. Officials began identifying missing passengers and notifying their families.
The cause remains under investigation, but Transport Minister Óscar Puente said a computer failure had halted six trains, including the two involved. He said the control centre then allowed trains to move again without speed restrictions, a decision he called inexplicable. Recordings released by Spanish media appear to show a controller instructing the Renfe driver to resume at normal speed despite a train stalled ahead, and later being told the Iryo train was still stopped. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez pledged a thorough inquiry and said any negligence or safety-system failures would be addressed. Spain began three days of mourning on Thursday. The crash follows another deadly high-speed rail accident in the country in January, in which 46 people died.
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