In brief
A high‑speed train struck a stationary train near Urda in Spain’s Toledo province on Wednesday, killing at least 68 people and injuring about a hundred. Two South Korean passengers were among those injured, one of whom sustained minor injuries and was discharged from the hospital while the other remains hospitalized. Spanish officials have declared three days of mourning and are investigating a computer‑related signalling failure suspected to have allowed the collision.
A high‑speed train collided with a stationary train near Urda in Toledo province, Spain, on Wednesday, killing at least 68 people and injuring dozens, including two South Korean nationals, the Seoul foreign ministry said Thursday.
Spanish media reports say the Renfe AVE train traveling from Madrid to Seville struck the rear of an Iryo train that had stopped on the tracks, derailing two carriages and sending them into an embankment. Roughly 80 passengers are reported injured, with about 50 suffering serious injuries and 15 in critical condition, according to Al Jazeera.
The Korean foreign ministry confirmed that 11 South Korean passengers had been aboard the two trains involved. One of the two injured Korean passengers sustained minor injuries and was discharged from the hospital after treatment; the other remains hospitalized, it added. Officials said the embassy in Spain is maintaining close contact with local authorities and continuing to check for any additional Korean casualties.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, speaking from the crash site, said Spain would declare three days of official mourning from October 29 to 31. He said, in a statement that appeared on Al Jazeera,
"Spain is in mourning. We will get to the bottom of this, and if there was negligence, it will be revealed, and if there were system failures, there will be a strong response."
In a separate UPI report, Sánchez added,
"Today the whole of Spain is grieving. Lives have been shattered, families have been torn apart, the pain is immense."
The investigation has focused on a computer failure that allowed six moving trains to operate without speed restrictions on a 40‑mile stretch of track, according to Spanish transport minister Oscar Puente. He said a control center paused the trains, but a decision was made to allow the Renfe train to move again without speed limits, leading to the collision.
Spain’s King Felipe VI issued a statement of sorrow for the families of the victims. Rail service between Madrid and the Andalusian region is suspended, and crews are working to clear the wreckage.
