Spain train crash leaves at least 68 dead in second major collision this year

Pictures showed several carriages lying on their sides next to the tracks and others twisted at angles, their wheels sheared off. Debris was strewn around the scene of the accident in the countryside in the province of Toledo. Passengers leave a crashed train after two trains collided near the city of Toledo. Cordon Press / Sipa USA via APAs rescue teams continued to search through the wreckage ‌of ​the ‌derailed ⁠carriages, the Castilla-La Mancha ‌regional government said ‌68 people had been killed and 68 injured. Together the two trains were carrying more than 500 passengers. S. citizens were among the injured, according to a State Department spokesperson, who said the U. S. is continuing to work with local authorities to identify all Americans involved and provide them consular assistance. “We extend our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of all those affected,” the spokesperson said. “We encourage U. Police were still inside the trains late Wednesday searching for additional victims. Juanma Jiménez / Europa Press via AP Spain’s transport minister, Óscar Puente, said the crash ⁠occurred around a. m. Wednesday following a combination of technical and human errors. Puente said that at around a. m., a computer failure led the control system near the station in Urda, Spain, to crash, with a red signal issued, causing several trains in the area to be automatically stopped in place. With the computer system down, rail traffic was then handed over to a control center. The control center communicated with the stopped trains, Puente said, and the decision was made at approximately a. m. to authorize a state-owned Renfe high-speed train to resume its normal journey, despite the fact that there was a stationary ‌train from private rail company Iryo on the tracks ahead. An erroneous ​decision was ‌made ⁠to restart the ⁠Renfe train, breaking protocol, he said. S. citizens were among the injured. Andrea Comas / AP Spain’s royal family said it shared “in the grief of the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives.” Spanish political parties said Wednesday they would briefly pause campaigning ahead of next month’s general election. Spain’s football federation also said it would postpone some of its Copa del Rey soccer fixtures following the collision. Aerial video shows aftermath of deadly crash 00:0000:00 Juan Manuel Moreno, the president of the Andalusian regional government, said on X that there would be three days of mourning in the region.