Second Train Crash Hits Spain Before Vote

Sixty-nine people died when a high-speed train struck a stationary railcar from behind in central Spain on Wednesday.

The regional leader of Castilla La Mancha, Emiliano García-Page, confirmed the death toll rose to 69 after one more body was found overnight. The accident occurred on the line connecting Madrid and Seville, the country's second-largest high-speed rail network.

Search teams using sniffer dogs continued looking for victims on Thursday morning. Cranes worked to shift carriages that were tossed down a gravel slope near the town of Urda. Police and soldiers picked through the wreckage where at least three carriages had flipped.

Spain's high-speed rail system had not suffered a fatal crash in more than three decades until this year. In January, 46 people died in southern Spain when a train jumped the track and hit another from the side. Both fatal accidents this year involved a state-owned RENFE train and a privately owned IRYO train.

Transport Minister Óscar Puente stated that human error caused the latest crash. He said a security system failed due to a computer malfunction at 8:30 a.m., stopping all trains on a 63-kilometer stretch. The IRYO train stopped near Urda, while the RENFE train was 25 kilometers behind.

Puente said the central command center ordered the RENFE train to move again a few minutes later without speed restrictions. The train collided with the stationary IRYO car at 8:53 a.m. Puente called the order inexplicable because a stop signal was still active. He said the engineers were not to blame.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited the crash site in the province of Toledo on Wednesday. He declared three days of mourning starting Thursday. Sánchez said the government needs to reinforce safety to rebuild trust in the rail service, which carried 45 million travelers last year.

The collision happened four weeks before a national election. Sánchez called for early elections earlier this month, hoping to capitalize on voter discontent over housing costs. He posted on X about an hour before the crash news spread, saying there were many reasons to be optimistic about the country.

Polls show Sánchez faces a difficult election against the Popular Party. Leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo demanded a full investigation and canceled campaign events to respect the victims. He said Spaniards are asking tough questions that demand answers.

Far-right Vox leader Santiago Abascal criticized the government, calling it a criminal organization. He said the tragedy adds to the despair and betrayal Spaniards are enduring. Abascal is seeking to enter a coalition government with the conservatives.

Thousands of travelers were stranded after the high-speed line shut down. RENFE is not selling online tickets for the service until mid-December. Fifty people remained hospitalized on Thursday, according to García-Page.