Madrid [Spain], October 30: At least 68 people were killed and around 50 seriously injured when two high-speed trains collided in central Spain on Wednesday, with the transport minister blaming an "inexplicable" decision by rail controllers to allow one train to proceed despite a safety system failure.
The collision occurred shortly before 9 am (0800 GMT) near Urda, around 130 kilometres south of Madrid.
The death toll could rise further because rescue workers had not yet been able to reach the interior of all the carriages, the president of the Castilla-La Mancha region, Emiliano García-Page, told reporters at the scene.
The accident occurred when a train operated by private rail company Iryo was stationary and was struck from behind by a train operated by state-owned railway company Renfe.
Two carriages of the Iryo train and one Renfe carriage derailed and plunged down a railway embankment.
Around 540 passengers were travelling on the two trains, both of which were heading south from Madrid towards Andalusia. There was no information yet on whether foreign nationals were among the victims.
Minister points to possible human error Transport Minister Óscar Puente, speaking at press conference as rescue operations continued on Wednesday afternoon, said the collision was caused by an "inexplicable" and "wrong" decision at a rail control centre.
He said the automatic train protection system had not yet been restored following a computer failure, which had brought all trains along a 63-kilometre stretch of track to a standstill.
Despite this, the Renfe train was given permission to continue its journey and subsequently collided with the stationary Iryo train.
Puente said an investigation would have to determine whether human error was responsible. The railway employee involved in the decision had not yet been questioned, he added.
Firefighters and civil protection teams from surrounding communities were deployed to the scene, along with three rescue helicopters and mobile intensive care units. Hospitals have appealed for blood donations.
Rail services between Madrid and Andalusia were suspended in both directions, causing widespread disruption and long queues at railway stations across Spain.
Source: Qatar Tribune