Spain’s train crash death toll rose to 69 on October 29, regional leader Emiliano García-Page said, according to Reuters. Rescuers continued searching wrecked carriages in Urda, Toledo province, a day after a Renfe high-speed train hit a stationary Iryo service on the Madrid–Seville line.
Cranes worked overnight to lift wreckage, Reuters reported. García-Page said crews had found human remains and were concentrating crane operations on an overturned carriage. The collision was Spain’s second fatal high-speed rail disaster this year.
According to Euronews, an IT failure disabled the LZB train safety system along roughly 63 kilometres of track before the crash. Investigators are examining why fallback procedures failed to keep the trains apart, including the permission from Adif’s Madrid control centre for the Renfe train to resume normal running.
Transport Minister Óscar Puente questioned that decision, Euronews reported. The outlet said a court in Orgaz had ordered the preservation of the trains’ black boxes and collection of control-centre communications. The causes and responsibility remain subject to judicial and technical investigation.
Renfe said it had activated its crisis team and assistance programme for victims and relatives, and confirmed disruption between Madrid, Ciudad Real and Andalusia after the collision. Spain began three days of official mourning on October 29, according to the government.
Visiting the emergency coordination centre in Toledo on Thursday, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez pledged support for families, a full explanation of the tragedy and stronger safety measures, his office said. The investigations will examine how the technical failure and subsequent operating decisions led to the collision.
Comments