At least 68 people are dead after two high-speed trains collided in the Spanish province of Toledo, according to the Castilla-La Mancha regional government.
About 50 more people were injured, according to officials.
The collision occurred before 9 a.m. Wednesday near the town of Urda.
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Spain’s state-owned operator Renfe, carrying 397 passengers, collided with another train from the private operator Iryo, carrying 147 passengers.
Both trains were traveling from Madrid to Seville. Preliminary investigations indicate that the Renfe train struck the Iryo train from behind while it was stopped.
The collision caused two Iryo carriages to derail and tumble down an embankment. Eyewitnesses described a brutal impact that threw passengers from their seats.
Rail service was suspended among Madrid, Ciudad Real and Andalusia.
Emergency units were deployed to manage the scene while the mayor of Urda set up an emergency pavilion to handle the injured and remaining passengers.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he was “shocked by the serious train incident.”
“If there has been negligence, it will come to light,” he said. “If there have been failures in the safety system, we will respond with the utmost firmness.”
Spanish King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia shared condolences and concerns for the families of those killed and injured in the collision.
“We are deeply saddened and concerned by the train accident in Urda (Toledo),” the royal couple said. “We share in the grief of the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives, and we send our heartfelt support to the injured and all those affected.”
Spain’s transport minister, Oscar Puente, said a computer issue signaling failure and an erroneous order from a train controller led to the crash.
The failure with the main LZB signaling system instigated the automatic stopping of all trains in that area, including the two involved in the collision.
The disaster is the third rail disaster in Spain this year.
A deadly high-speed crash near Adamuz, in Cordoba province, in January killed 46 people. Trains from Renfe and Iryo were also involved in that collision.
Two days later, a commuter train derailed near Gelida, about 20 miles outside Barcelona, after a retaining wall collapsed onto the tracks during heavy rain. The crash killed a trainee driver and injured 37 people.
Mr. Sanchez declared three days of official mourning on Wednesday.
Spain has invested heavily in high-speed rail in recent decades, adding 2,400 miles of track for trains that travel at least 155 mph this century.
Only China, with 28,000 miles, has more.
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