Two High-Speed Trains Collide In Spain, Killing At Least 46; Dozens Injured
At least 46 people have been killed after two high-speed trains collided on the line connecting Madrid with Spain’s southern Andalusia region, Okdiario, Spanish digital newspaper, reported.
The government has confirmed ten deaths so far, but Civil Protection reports Okdiario at least 46. There are also dozens of injured, some seriously.
The collision comes nine months after a high-speed train crash on the same route involving the same operators killed 46 people.
Madrid-Andalusia Rail Traffic Suspended
Adif said rail traffic on the Madrid-Andalusia high-speed line had been suspended following the rear-end collision.
A Renfe train and an Iryo train crashed shortly after 9 am (0800 GMT), causing two carriages of the Iryo train to derail, a government spokesperson for the Castilla-La Mancha region said. The cause of the collision and the number of people injured were still being determined, Reuters reported.
Footage aired by Castilla-La Mancha Television showed a derailed train, with at least one carriage remaining on an elevated section of track. Twisted metal, broken panels and wreckage could be seen scattered across an embankment below.
Adif said the incident occurred on the line connecting Madrid and Seville.
Manuel Galan, mayor of the nearby town of Urda, told Cadena SER that emergency services had asked the town council to prepare facilities, including a sports hall, to accommodate passengers and injured people, Reuters reported.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s schedule for Wednesday was cleared, according to the Spanish government’s website. The opposition People’s Party also cancelled all campaign events, a spokesperson said.
Previous Crash Killed 46
The latest collision comes nine months after a deadly accident near Adamuz in Cordoba province, when a train derailed and crashed into an oncoming train, killing 46 people.
The January crash triggered a debate over investment in railway maintenance in Spain in recent years.
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