Spain investigates high-speed train collision that killed at least 69

Spanish investigators are examining the role of rail traffic control after a high-speed train struck the rear of a stationary train near Urda in Toledo province on Wednesday, killing at least 69 people and injuring dozens.

Both trains were travelling from Madrid toward Seville. The state-operated Renfe train collided with an Iryo train that had stopped on the track, derailing several carriages. A preliminary report released Thursday found that the Renfe train was travelling between 160 and 200km/h when its front carriage became embedded in the rear of the other train.

Transport Minister Óscar Puente said a computer failure had initially halted six trains that morning. Audio recordings published by Spanish media appear to indicate that control staff later cleared one train to proceed without speed restrictions despite another train remaining stalled about 25km ahead. Puente called that instruction “inexplicable,” but said the investigation must answer outstanding questions and that no individual worker would be used as a shield.

Puente rejected calls to resign from political opponents, a trade union and demonstrators, saying his immediate duty was to resolve the problem. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez declared three days of national mourning and said any negligence or failures in safety systems would be addressed. Emergency crews continued searching the wreckage while Civil Guard offices collected DNA samples to help identify victims.

The collision was Spain’s second fatal high-speed rail disaster this year, after 46 people were killed in a January crash on the same Madrid-Seville route.