At Least 68 Dead in High-Speed Train Collision in Toledo, One Month Before the Election
Two high-speed trains collided this morning in Toledo province, on the Madrid Seville line, leaving at least 68 dead and 58 injured, after a control system failure let one of the stopped trains resume its journey.
Two high-speed trains collided this morning shortly before 9.15am local time in Toledo province, on the line connecting Madrid and Seville. The regional government of Castilla La Mancha confirmed at least 68 deaths, while another 58 people were receiving medical treatment at hospitals in the area.
Transport Minister Oscar Puente said the control system near the town of Urda had failed. Six trains had been stopped, but one of them mistakenly resumed its journey and traveled 25 kilometers before colliding at high speed with another train that remained stationary.
The crash comes just nine months after another deadly collision between high speed trains run by the same two operators in southern Spain, which happened in January and killed 45 people, reviving concern over recurring failures in the rail system.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who traveled to the site of the crash, announced three days of national mourning. The tragedy comes just over a month before the November 29 general election, adding a grave new dimension to a campaign that was already proving difficult for the prime minister.
