Adnkronos (Adnkronos) – Spain has begun three days of national mourning after at least 68 people died and dozens were injured in one of the worst train disasters in modern European history. Rescue teams worked through the night under powerful floodlights, cutting through metal carriages in search of the victims, many of whom have yet to be identified.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the disaster that occurred yesterday morning, when a train travelling from Madrid to Seville collided violently with a stationary train.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez declared that “all of Spain is in mourning,” adding that “lives have been turned upside down, families destroyed, the pain is immense.”
According to the Spanish Interior Ministry, hundreds of personnel have been deployed to the disaster site to assist with rescue operations, and drones and helicopters are being used to locate victims and clear debris. The stationary train, operated by the private railway company Iryo, was carrying 147 passengers and was stuck on the tracks due to a computer failure, according to Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente. Puente added that in the event of a system failure, the 24-hour control center in Madrid takes over, but that in that case an "inexplicable" decision was made to restart the trains without any speed restrictions.
Audio recordings of communications between Madrid rail traffic controllers and train drivers appear to show that the high-speed train was given the green light to restart despite another train further ahead having stopped.
The Iryo railway company said its train was "rear-ended" by another train, operated by the Spanish state railway company Renfe, carrying 397 passengers. The force of the impact sent several carriages tumbling down an embankment.
Meanwhile, five Italian passengers have been recovered in stable condition from the two trains involved in the accident. A sixth is hospitalized in Toledo; three others are considered missing. The Foreign Ministry reports that four Italians are in good condition, and a fifth, the brother of one of the missing passengers, is hospitalized. According to TgR Rai, the four Italians, who are doing well, are from Sassari, Bergamo, Rome, and Cosenza, respectively. All are registered with AIRE, the registry of Italians residing abroad.
international/foreign
webinfo@adnkronos.com (Web Info)