At least 30 killed as two high-speed trains collide in Spain
At least 30 people were killed when two high-speed trains collided in Spain, renewing concerns over rail safety on the Madrid–Andalusia route.
At least 30 people were killed when two high-speed trains collided in Spain, renewing concerns over rail safety on the Madrid–Andalusia route.
At least 30 people were killed when two high-speed trains collided in Spain, renewing concerns over rail safety on the Madrid–Andalusia route.
At least 30 people were killed when two high-speed trains collided in Spain on Wednesday, marking the second deadly accident in less than a year on the rail route linking Madrid with the southern region of Andalusia, regional authorities said.
Footage aired by regional broadcaster Castilla-La Mancha Television showed a derailed train, with at least one carriage left perched on an elevated section of track. Twisted metal, shattered panels and debris were scattered across the embankment below.
Miguel, a passenger travelling with several colleagues in the rear car of one of the trains, described to COPE radio the moment of the accident.
"We heard a massive roar, a truly enormous thud that went on for 10 seconds, as if the train were about to derail. Through the right-hand window, we could see a wrecked train – I imagine it must have been the other one," he said.
Castilla-la Mancha regional government said the death toll had risen to 30 from 10 after earlier warning it could rise.
The collision comes nine months after an accident between high-speed trains belonging to the same operators on the same line that killed 46 people.
That crash in January, which occurred after a train derailed and smashed into an oncoming train near Adamuz, in Cordoba province, triggered a debate about the level of investment in railway maintenance in recent years.