By Salma El-Sakka
Spain has begun three days of national mourning after a high-speed train collision killed 68 people and injured 107, 15 of them seriously, in the country's second fatal rail disaster this year. The crash occurred Wednesday morning when a Renfe train slammed into the rear of a stationary Iryo train on the Madrid–Andalusia line near the town of Urda, about 130 km south of Madrid.
Three days of mourning declared
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced the mourning period, calling it “unacceptable for a country like Spain to suffer two high-speed train accidents in the same year.” He pledged a thorough investigation and said any failures in the security system or negligence would be addressed with “utmost severity.”
Emergency response and identification efforts
Emergency services worked through the night using cranes to remove mangled carriages, with regional leader Emiliano García-Page warning that more victims may be found as rescuers have not yet reached the bottom of the wreckage. The Civil Guard has opened four offices in Madrid, Toledo, Córdoba, and Seville for relatives to provide DNA samples to help identify victims. Blood donation points have been set up in Castilla-La Mancha and Madrid, while a school in Urda serves as a family assistance center. Red Cross psychologist Carmen Garcia described “long and hard hours” ahead for grieving families.
Second high-speed crash this year
The collision echoes a January crash on the same line near Adamuz in Andalucía that killed 46 people and involved the same two operators, Renfe and Iryo. Transport officials have cited an “error” and “inexplicable circumstances” leading to the latest disaster, raising fresh questions about the safety of Spain’s high-speed rail network.
Political reactions and calls for review
Opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo demanded an immediate investigation and a “complete and independent review” of the entire rail network, saying Spain has the right to know what is happening with its infrastructure. The first named victim was 31-year-old Guardia Civil agent José Manuel Chacón. Spanish media reported that a former People’s Party minister and several foreign tourists are among the missing.
