Spain train crash near Toledo kills at least 68
A Renfe high-speed train struck the back of a stopped Iryo train near Urda in central Spain on Wednesday, killing at least 68 people, the BBC and The Guardian report. The Guardian says about 544 people were aboard the two trains. Transport Minister Óscar Puente blamed a control-centre decision he called "inexplicable" in a first account.
At least 68 people were killed on Wednesday when a Renfe high-speed train ran into the back of a stopped Iryo train near the small town of Urda, in Toledo province in central Spain, the BBC and The Guardian report. The death toll rose through the day, and officials warned it could climb further.
The Guardian says the two trains were carrying about 544 people on the high-speed line from Madrid to Seville. It says a similar number to the dead remain in the hospital, with 15 in serious or critical condition. The BBC says dozens more were hurt. A local sports center in Urda became a triage post for the walking wounded, The Guardian reports.
Transport Minister Óscar Puente gave a first account of what went wrong. He said a computer failure first halted six trains. He then said the control center let trains move again, a decision he called "inexplicable," the BBC and The Guardian report. The BBC says the trains were allowed to move without speed limits. Iryo, the private operator, said in a statement that its train was "struck from behind." Investigators have not yet given a final cause.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited the crash site and said the whole country is grieving, the BBC reports. He vowed to find out why the tragedy happened, The Guardian says. The government plans three days of national mourning. The main parties suspended campaigning ahead of next month's national election, but the far-right Vox party kept holding rallies, The Guardian reports.
The BBC says it is the second deadly crash on Spain's high-speed network in less than a year, after 46 people died near Adamuz in January. A 2013 derailment near Santiago de Compostela killed 80. Protesters gathered outside the transport ministry in Madrid, and a large union called on Puente to resign, the BBC reports.
What we know: At least 68 people died when one high-speed train hit another that had stopped near Urda, and the minister's first account points to a control-center decision.
What we don't: The final death toll, the official cause, and who made the call to let the trains move.
Where outlets agree The BBC and The Guardian report at least 68 dead and cite the minister's account that the control center wrongly let trains move again.
Where they differ The Guardian puts the two trains at about 544 people with 15 in serious or critical condition, while the BBC gives only more than 500 aboard and dozens hurt.