69 Dead in Spain's Second Deadly Rail Crash This Year

A second fatal high-speed rail accident has struck Spain this year, killing 69 people in a collision that has temporarily closed the main line between Madrid and Seville. The crash occurred on Wednesday morning near the village of Urda, where one train struck a stationary vehicle from behind. Regional leader Emiliano García-Page confirmed the death toll reached 69 after one more body was recovered overnight. He stated that 50 people remained hospitalized while officials worked to identify the deceased.

The incident marks the second deadly collision on this specific rail line in under a year. In January, 46 people died after a train derailed and hit another moving in the opposite direction. Both accidents involved trains operated by state-owned RENFE and privately owned IRYO. The Madrid-Seville route is the oldest section of Spain's high-speed network, which opened in 1992. The system carries 45 million travelers annually and is the second-largest in the world after China's network.

Transport Minister Óscar Puente attributed the crash to human error following a technical failure. He explained that a computer malfunction stopped the security system on a stretch of track at 8:30 a.m. This forced all trains on that segment to halt. The IRYO train stopped, while the RENFE train remained 25 kilometers behind. Minutes later, central command ordered the RENFE train to start moving again without speed restrictions. The collision occurred at 8:53 a.m. when the moving train hit the stationary IRYO train.

Puente noted that the stop signal was still active on the line when the order was given. He argued the train should have been told to move at a reduced speed if it was to restart. Audio clips of the controller giving the order were reproduced by Spanish media on Thursday. A judge has designated the crash site as an investigation zone. Search teams with sniffer dogs continued looking for victims on Thursday, one day after the impact. Cranes moved carriages as police and soldiers sorted through wreckage scattered down a gravel slope.

The Spanish government declared three days of mourning beginning Thursday. A minute of silence was observed at noon by lawmakers outside the Parliament and by rail workers at Madrid's main station. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited the crash site twice, calling the event a tragedy. He pledged an investigation to rebuild trust in the rail system. Sánchez stated that it is not acceptable for Spain to endure two high-speed train accidents in the same year.

The crash complicates Sánchez's political outlook ahead of early elections scheduled for Nov. 29. He originally called for the vote to capitalize on public discontent over housing costs. Now, he faces scrutiny over rail safety alongside criticism of his migration policies and corruption accusations against his party and wife. Conservative rival Alberto Núñez Feijóo has demanded a full investigation. Alejandro Quiroga, a political science professor at Madrid's Complutense University, said it is too early to determine if the crash will sway voters. He noted that Spaniards often dislike politicians exploiting tragedies, though that sentiment may be changing.

Unions questioned the minister's focus on a single controller. They criticized the leaking of control room conversations to the media. Pepa Páez of the CCOO union said the focus should be on systemic failures rather than individual error. Train workers held a planned strike on Thursday to demand safety improvements that unions said were promised after the January crash. Thousands of travelers have been left seeking alternative transport while the Madrid-Seville high-speed line remains shut down.