Key points
- Deadly train crash kills at least 40
- Search continues for additional victims
- Collision involved two passenger trains
ADAMUZ, Spain: Spain began three days of national mourning on Tuesday following a devastating train crash in the country’s south that has killed at least 40 people, as emergency crews continued searching the wreckage for more victims.
According to AP News, flags were lowered to half-staff across the country as rescue teams worked through what regional officials described as a “twisted mass of metal” left behind after the collision late on Sunday.
The official death toll rose to 40 by late Monday, though authorities cautioned that the figure may increase. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said investigators believe three additional bodies remain trapped in the wreckage, but they have not yet been formally recovered or included in the official count.
High-speed train
The crash occurred at 7:45 p.m. when the rear of a high-speed train carrying 289 passengers from Malaga to Madrid derailed and collided with an oncoming train travelling from Madrid to Huelva, rail operator Adif said. The second train, carrying nearly 200 passengers, bore the brunt of the impact, with its first two carriages thrown off the tracks and down a four-metre embankment.
Bodies were found scattered hundreds of metres from the site, said Andalusia’s regional president, Juanma Moreno. Authorities are investigating the cause of the accident, which Transport Minister Óscar Puente described as “strange” because it occurred on a straight section of track and neither train was exceeding speed limits. A broken section of rail has since been discovered.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited the site on Monday, while King Felipe and Queen Letizia are due to attend on Tuesday. The Civil Guard is collecting DNA samples from relatives of missing passengers.
