Spain train crash death toll rises to 74 as families search for missing
At least 74 people died after two high-speed trains collided in central Spain on Wednesday, the transport ministry said. Families were still searching for missing relatives on Thursday as three days of national mourning began.
- The transport ministry says at least 74 people died in the collision of two high-speed trains in central Spain.
- About 180 people were injured, including 110 taken to hospitals.
- Spain began three days of national mourning on Thursday.
- Search teams with sniffer dogs continued looking for victims.
The death toll from Wednesday's train crash in central Spain has risen to at least 74, according to the transport ministry. Two high-speed trains collided, and dozens of people were injured. On Thursday, more than 24 hours after the collision, families were still looking for missing loved ones.
According to Gulf News, a RENFE train struck an Iryo train that had stopped on the tracks. Around 180 people were injured, including 110 who were taken to hospitals, and authorities issued a call for blood donations. Search teams with sniffer dogs continued looking for victims on Thursday.
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia visited a hospital in Toledo on Thursday afternoon, after cancelling their official engagements. Euronews reported that the hospital was treating 15 patients in intensive care and eight on general wards. The king described the crash as a "terrible accident" and offered condolences to victims' families and friends.
The Royal Household suspended its official engagements for the coming days, which affects events scheduled in Madrid and the Canary Islands. Three days of national mourning began in Spain on Thursday.
Relatives flooded social media with appeals for information. César Vicente travelled 495 kilometres from Seville to Toledo to look for his father, who had been in seat 13A on the RENFE train. "I have my father, and I don't know where he is. I hope to find him, oh my Lord," he said.
Alejandra Marroquín said her sister Adriana was travelling in car 8 of the RENFE train and the family had been unable to contact her. Families spent the night at a religious centre converted into a base for those affected.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said: "The entire government is working to respond to the victims' families, shed light on the tragedy, and strengthen security so that this never happens again."
Residents of Urda, a town of about 2,500 people south of Madrid, helped the injured and unharmed passengers. They drove passengers from the tracks to a nearby sports pavilion. More than 2,000 people volunteered in Castilla-La Mancha, and 1,300 emergency personnel were mobilised there. Regional president Emiliano García-Page thanked everyone who had stepped up, "starting with the all-time record number of donations."
Gulf News said this was Spain's second high-speed rail disaster this year. In January, 46 people died when one train left the track and hit another in southern Spain. Spain's high-speed network is the world's second-largest after China's, and before this year it had not had a deadly crash in over three decades.
Why it matters
The crash is a major international disaster that is front-page news in Pakistan. It also raises questions about the safety record of one of the world's largest high-speed rail networks.
