MADRID, October 28. /TASS/. The confirmed number of fatalities in a collision between two high-speed passenger trains in Toledo Province in central Spain has risen to 64, while up to 180 were injured, El Diario daily reported.
TASS has compiled the key details about the tragic accident.
Details of the accident
- The accident took place at around 9:00 a.m. local time.
- According to Europa Press, two passenger trains collided near the town of Urda in the Castilla La Mancha region.
- El Pais daily reported later that the accident took place between two residential settlements in the Province of Toledo.
- Two cars of one of the trains derailed, according to reports.
- EFE news agency specified that the two trains involved in the collision were passenger trains.
- Up to 544 passengers were on board the trains in total before the collision.
- El·Pais daily reported that 197 passengers were booked for on the high-speed train operated by the railway company Renfe, while 147 more passengers, including an infant, were booked for taking a ride at the train operated by the Iryo company.
- Medics and fire and rescue teams are working at the scene of the accident.
- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez confirmed that the emergency relief services are working at the scene of the tragedy.
- According to him, they are providing assistance to the victims and ensuring their safety in coordination with all relevant authorities.
Casualties
- The reported number of fatalities in a collision between two high-speed passenger trains in Toledo Province in central Spain has risen to 64, El Diario daily reported.
- According to the daily, up to 50 injured people have been diagnosed with moderate injuries, while 15 more are in serious condition.
- Local television channel Antena 3 reported earlier in the day that at least 179 people were injured in the accident.
Possible causes of the accident
- The Spanish government considers human error to be one of the possible causes of the collision between two passenger trains, El Pais daily reported, citing its sources.
- According to the daily, the possible cause of the accident was human error by an Adif company operator (the operator of the railway network) due to a failure in the security system.
- The daily pointed out that the system is fully automated and train movements were initially halted due to a malfunction; however, switching to manual control could have led to the malfunction, ultimately causing the disaster.
- ABC claimed in turn, citing its sources, that an employee responsible for overseeing the safety system failed to issue an earlier warning about the dangerous proximity of the approaching trains.
Situation with Russian nationals
- The Russian Embassy in Madrid stated that no Russian nationals were reported to sustain injuries in the tragic train collision in central Spain.
Reaction
- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he was shocked by the news of the passenger train collision in the Province of Toledo.
- Sanchez pointed out that he was in permanent contact with Transport Minister Oscar Puente and the regional authorities.
- The Russian Embassy in Madrid told TASS that it had received no inquiries from Russian nationals regarding the railway disaster in the Spanish Province of Toledo.
- The Russian Embassy in Madrid extended its deepest condolences to the families of those who died in the collision between two passenger trains in the province of Toledo. "We express our most sincere and deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives in the accident. We wish a speedy recovery to the injured," the Russian Embassy said in a statement.