System failure, ‘inexplicable’ decisions, 68 deaths: How Spain’s train collision unfolded

Spain began three days of mourning on Thursday, after a train collision killed 68 people, turning a failure in rail traffic control and a decision to resume services into focus of a disaster that has raised fresh questions about the safety of one of Europe’s largest high-speed rail networks.

The crash occurred on Wednesday in Castilla-La Mancha, about 130 km south of Madrid, when a train operated by state rail company Renfe slammed into the rear of a stationary service run by private operator Iryo.

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More than 100 people were injured, and emergency crews worked through the night to search the mangled wreckage, as per AFP.

Control system failure, traffic resumes

Transport Minister Oscar Puente said an automatic control system had failed across a 69-km stretch of track, forcing trains to stop.

The control centre later authorised traffic to resume in circumstances he described as "inexplicable," AFP reported.

The Renfe train travelled about 25 km before striking the stationary Iryo service and the precise sequence of events and the reasons behind the collision are currently under investigation.

Emergency crews used cranes to remove twisted metal and search for victims, while survivors described scenes of chaos inside the carriages, with passengers thrown on top of one another, seats torn out and luggage scattered around.

Fresh questions over rail safety

The disaster has renewed scrutiny of Spain's rail network and its safety systems. It is the country's second deadly high-speed train collision this year, after a crash in the southern region of Andalusia in January killed 46 people. The investigation into that accident remains ongoing.

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The latest crash also puts pressure on Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's government, which faced criticism over its handling of the January disaster. Sanchez announced three days of national mourning from Thursday and said two high-speed rail collisions within months were "not acceptable".