107 admitted to hospital after Spain train crash kills at least 68

At least 68 people have died after two high-speed trains collided near Urda, in central Spain, on Wednesday. Regional emergency services said 107 people had been admitted to hospital, according to Dutch broadcaster NOS; the regional government said 18 of them were in critical condition. The hospital total has risen from 77 admissions reported earlier in the day.

The trains were travelling from Madrid towards Seville when a Renfe train struck an Iryo train from behind. Iryo said its train was carrying 147 passengers. Renfe said the collision had interrupted rail services between Madrid, Ciudad Real and Andalusia.

Transport minister Óscar Puente said a computer failure had been followed by human error. According to his account, controllers in Madrid instructed trains to move again without speed restrictions while the Iryo train remained stationary. He called that decision “inexplicable”. His account is not a final finding on the cause or responsibility: Iryo said the cause was not yet known, and NOS reported that an independent commission and the government were investigating.

A Civil Guard spokesperson said crews would search the wreckage through the night, NOS reported. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced three days of national mourning and promised a full investigation.