At least 68 people were killed when two Spanish high-speed trains collided on Wednesday, as rescue workers continued searching the wreckage for more victims.
The crash is Spain’s second fatal rail accident this year and Europe’s deadliest since 2013.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, speaking in a televised address near the crash site south of Madrid, said “all of Spain” was mourning the victims.
The opposition People’s Party also cancelled all campaign events scheduled for the day ahead of next month’s election.
Sanchez described the incident as a “terrible tragedy” and promised a full investigation, vowing to address any failures uncovered. He added that the causes of the two rail crashes appeared to be unrelated.
“If we need to further strengthen safety in order to rebuild confidence in our high-speed rail system, we will do so, because what is unacceptable for a country like Spain is to suffer two high-speed rail accidents in the same year,” Sanchez said.
Spain’s Transport Minister said the crash occurred after a Renfe train was cleared to resume its journey despite an active red signal triggered by another train standing ahead.
Oscar Puente told reporters in Madrid that a computer communications failure had triggered the red signal, automatically halting rail traffic. However, he said an erroneous decision was made to allow the Renfe train to continue its journey.
At the crash site, ambulances, funeral home vans and helicopters were stationed beside one of the trains on an elevated section of track. Twisted metal and debris were scattered across an embankment, where at least three carriages had plunged.
The head of Castilla-La Mancha’s regional government said the death toll had risen to 68, as rescue workers continued searching the train carriages for additional victims.
Passengers, some covered in blood or with bandaged injuries, were evacuated along a nearby road following the crash. Spain’s Health Minister, Monica Garcia, said on social media that 80 people had been injured, including 15 who were in very serious condition.
The crash is Europe’s deadliest rail disaster since 2013, when 80 people died in a train accident in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. It also follows another collision in January involving high-speed trains operated by the same companies on the same line, which claimed 46 lives.
In the January incident, a train derailed and collided with an oncoming train near Adamuz, in Cordoba province, triggering debate over investment in railway maintenance.
