Rabat – Spain woke up to a new tragedy after two high-speed trains collided, killing at least 10 people.
Spanish rail operator Adif announced today that two high-speed trains collided, prompting the suspension of services on the line connecting Madrid to Andalusia’s southern region.
The operator, however, did not provide further details.
El País reported today that at least 10 people had died in the accident, citing government sources that described it as a “very serious accident with many fatalities.”
Government sources said the situation could be “worse than Adamuz,” referring to the Córdoba rail accident on January 18, when a Renfe AVE train and an Iryo train collided.
Eyewitnesses described the scene as “hellish,” El País reported, with initial assessments pointing to possible human error.
“According to preliminary analyses, an operator at the Atocha control center mistakenly instructed the Renfe train to continue, despite the Iryo train obstructing the track. The Renfe train eventually struck the Iryo train from behind at a speed that has yet to be determined, causing the accident,” El País reported.
Spanish media reports said the incident brings back memories of the Adamuz tragedy, where 46 people died.
The accident was Spain’s deadliest railway accident since 2013, when an Alvia train derailed near Santiago de Compostela, killing 80 people and injuring 145 others.
El País reported that Spain’s deadliest railway disaster occurred in 1944, when a mail train, a locomotive carrying out shunting operations, and a freight train collided inside a tunnel. The official death toll stood at 78, although the actual number of victims is believed to have been concealed by the Franco regime.
EFE quoted a spokesperson for the regional government of Castilla-La Mancha today, stating that the death toll could increase.
She, however, did not provide a figure for the number of injured, EFE added.
