Key facts
- At least 69 people died in a high-speed train crash near Urda, Spain.
- Leaked audio recordings suggest human error in a control room minutes before the crash.
- The incident occurred on the Madrid-Seville line, a month before Spanish elections.
- Locals provided aid to the injured at a makeshift hospital in a sports hall.
At least 69 people died in a high-speed train crash near Urda, Spain, on Wednesday, when a Renfe train rammed into a stationary Iryo train on the Madrid-Seville line. Survivors described horrific scenes, with one passenger recounting being thrown around and seeing dead people. Locals rushed to help, converting a sports hall into a makeshift hospital.
Leaked audio recordings of a control-room operator discussing the minutes before the disaster have fueled public disbelief and outrage, particularly as Spain holds three days of mourning exactly a month before national elections. This incident follows a similar crash on the same route in Adamuz nine months ago that killed 46 people.
The government, led by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, faces intensified political pressure, with the conservative People's Party demanding answers. Transport Minister Óscar Puente suggested a computer failure followed by human error was the likely cause, a view seemingly supported by the leaked recordings. The train drivers' union condemned the leak as irresponsible and called for safety to be prioritized over travel urgency.