At least 68 dead after high‑speed train collision in central Spain

At least 68 people were killed when a high‑speed train collided with a stationary train in central Spain on Wednesday morning. The moving train, operated by state‑owned Renfe and carrying 397 passengers, ran into an Iryo train that had stopped about 140 km south of Madrid after a computer failure. The crash occurred just after 09:00 local time (08:00 GMT). The impact sent several carriages down an embankment, broke windows, and caused one carriage to catch fire. A long piece of rail pierced a carriage, slowing the train slightly according to some survivors. Passengers were thrown into the air, trapped among seats, and many broke windows to escape. Salvador Arriza, 62, described the force as brutal. Tangui Binier, 22, said suitcases flew and the train finally flipped over before stopping. He watched his father carry a girl with a broken hip out of the wreckage. Journalist Antonio Jiménez Barca, walking to a cafeteria, was knocked to the ground, hit his head and was covered in blood. Sebastián Herrero, 46, reported broken noses and arms and said he was airborne for four to five seconds. Dozens of ambulances and a helicopter rushed victims to hospitals; the Civil Guard said DNA samples would be needed to identify some of the dead. Transport Minister Óscar Puente said a computer failure followed by an inexplicable decision by Madrid’s 24‑hour control centre to move trains without speed limits caused the collision. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited the site and said the whole country is grieving. The disaster follows a January crash near Córdoba that killed 46 people on the same line.

Context

Spain’s high‑speed network has seen two fatal accidents this year, highlighting concerns over safety systems and emergency response on the busy Madrid‑Seville corridor.