Spain begins three days of mourning after train crash kills dozens
Spain has declared three days of mourning following a fatal train collision that killed at least 68 people. Authorities are investigating why a high-speed train was cleared to move into a section occupied by a stationary train.
Why it matters
This is a major infrastructure disaster that raises significant questions about rail safety protocols and human error in automated systems.
Image source, Europa Press via Getty Images Image caption, Emergency teams worked through the night to find victims and clear debris
Spain is beginning three days of mourning after at least 68 people were killed and dozens more were injured in one of the worst rail disasters in Europe's modern history.
Emergency crews worked through the night under powerful floodlights to cut open metal carriages in the search for victims, with many of those killed in the crash still to be identified.
Officials are investigating the cause of the disaster, which occurred when a train travelling from Madrid to Seville barrelled into another stationary train on Wednesday morning.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the "whole of Spain is grieving", adding that "lives have been shattered, families have been torn apart, the pain is immense".
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