Spain has begun three days of mourning after a high-speed rail collision killed 69 people and injured scores. The accident occurred Wednesday morning near the town of Urda on the line stretching from Madrid to the southern region of Andalusia and the city of Seville. A train from state-owned Renfe slammed into the rear of a halted Iryo train, knocking several carriages off the track.
Emergency services, including search teams with sniffer dogs, combed through the wreckage overnight and into Thursday morning. The Civil Guard established clinics for relatives to provide DNA samples to help identify victims. Spain's foreign ministry stated that 42 foreign citizens from seven countries were involved in the crash, and 50 people remain hospitalized.
This event is Spain's second deadly high-speed rail disaster this year, following a January collision on the same line that killed 46 people. Described as one of Europe's deadliest rail disasters this century and the worst since 2013, the crash has raised urgent questions regarding rail safety, management, and investment in railway maintenance.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has pledged a full investigation to clarify the causes and called for increased safety measures to restore confidence in the high-speed rail system. King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia visited a hospital to support the injured victims. The tragedy has also upended the scenario of the electoral campaign for the early legislative elections scheduled for November 29.