Renfe Train Collides With Iryo Service In Spain, Killing 68
Spanish Transport Minister Oscar Puenta cited an automatic control system failure and an inexplicable decision to resume traffic.
By Nadia Khalil ·
Spain has begun three days of mourning after a high-speed train operated by state carrier Renfe struck a stationary Iryo train on Oct. 28, killing 68 people. The crash occurred in the central region of Castilla-La Mancha on the line connecting Madrid with Seville.
Transport Minister Oscar Puenta said an automatic control system failed across 69 kilometers of track, which forced all trains to a stop. Puenta said the control center then decided to resume traffic in circumstances he called inexplicable, allowing the Renfe train to travel 25 kilometers before it hit the stationary Iryo train.
Puenta said the control center had more than enough time to verify the error and did not fix it. The crash has raised questions about the safety of Spain's rail network, and the left-wing government has drawn criticism over its management of the country's railways. The investigation into the accident is ongoing.
Emergency services worked through the night at the wreckage, with cranes lifting pieces of mangled metal from the line, according to AFP reporters.
A school in the village of Urdua, located around 130 kilometers south of Madrid, has been opened to families seeking news about relatives. Red Cross psychologist Carmen Garcia said they expect long and hard hours, and that every person will manage it in their own way. Red Cross members offered support to relatives, some of whom arrived in tears, alongside crowds of police and reporters from around the world.
The Civil Guard has set up four offices in Madrid, Toledo, Córdoba and Seville where relatives of victims can provide DNA samples to help identify anyone missing. Blood donation drives have also been organized in Castilla-La Mancha and Madrid.
