The accident, which occurred on Sunday evening, is one of the largest train accidents that have occurred in Spain in more than a decade and is surprising the country.
What Happened
At the time of the accident, over 400 passengers and crew were travelling on two high-speed trains that had just left Málaga around 19:45 local time. The Madrid-bound train derailed while it was travelling north on a straight section of track and crossed over to the other side of the line, colliding with a train travelling south from Madrid to Huelva. The Transportation Minister, Oscar Puente, explained that several of the cars of the second train were knocked off their tracks by the force of the collision and pushed into the side of the embankment. Most of the fatalities and injuries occurred in the front cars of the second train.
The rescue workers reported that the wreckage was twisted, making it difficult for rescuers to get to the people who were trapped inside the wreckage. The devastating aftermath of the train accident on Friday is visible in video footage that shows the overturned train cars and rescuers removing those injured from the damaged trains that had crashed-landed on the roadway through their windows and doors.
The Spanish government has started an extensive investigation into how this tragedy occurred. On Monday, Pedro Sánchez paid a visit to the site where the crash occurred with high-ranking officials to offer his condolences. He indicated that this is a day for the whole country of Spain to grieve together. He pledged that once the investigation is completed, the results would be released by the government.
Óscar Puente has stated that the cause of this event is likely very rare and could take at a minimum of one month to be resolved.
In reference to preliminary technical investigations, the focus is on whether the cause of the accident may be connected with the collapse of the railroads. Among the many possibilities is the collapse of the rail connections, which could have either collapsed or stretched under the strain of the weight of the trains. Nonetheless, it has been reported by officials that they do not know if the failure of the rail junctions occurred during the accident or before it, but it was nevertheless a cause of it.
Freccia 1000 trains, capable of travelling up to 400 kilometres per hour, were involved in this incident.
First responders treated 122 people injured in this accident. Of those treated, 41 persons have remained in the hospital, and 12 of those are being treated at the moment in an intensive care unit. Also stated by government officials is that the death toll will likely increase since there are still more bodies to be identified. All of the high-speed rail service from Madrid to southern cities, including Málaga, Córdoba, Sevilla and Huelva, has been suspended until Friday at the earliest.
The Spanish monarchs, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, offered their condolences to the families who lost loved ones and to the families of the injured. Emergency response personnel working in Andalucía urged all survivors who have not contacted their loved ones yet to do so as soon as possible, and the Red Cross supports and therapists who have also assisted the families cope with this tragedy.
