The death toll from a collision between two high-speed trains in central Spain has risen to at least 68, as Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez pledged on Wednesday to establish the cause of the disaster and hold those responsible accountable if negligence is uncovered.
Speaking during a visit to the crash site in Urda, in the province of Toledo, Sanchez promised a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the collision, according to Spanish news agency EFE.
“We will get to the bottom of this. If there has been negligence, it will be known,” the prime minister said.
Sanchez announced three days of national mourning, from October 29 to 31, to honour those killed in the tragedy.
He described it as “unacceptable for a country like Spain” to experience two major high-speed railway accidents within the same year, referring to another train crash in Adamuz, Cordoba, in January.
Although preliminary findings suggested that the two accidents had different causes, Sanchez emphasised that determining the circumstances of each incident was the responsibility of independent investigators and judicial authorities.
He also pledged that the government would take decisive action to address any safety deficiencies identified during the investigation, stressing the importance of restoring public confidence in Spain’s railway network.
Meanwhile, opposition People’s Party leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo called for “immediate” investigations by the government and judicial authorities, insisting that they be conducted “with all available resources and without interference.”
Feijoo said Spain “has the right to know what is happening with its infrastructure” and demanded a comprehensive, independent examination of the country’s entire railway system.
However, he declined to address questions of political responsibility for the disaster, saying that the immediate priority should be the victims and the investigation.
As Spain mourned the loss of life, the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces announced that a minute of silence would be observed at town halls across the country at 8pm local time on Wednesday.
The nationwide tribute was organised to remember those who died in the collision and express solidarity with their families.
Investigations into the cause of the crash are continuing, with authorities yet to establish whether technical failures, human error or other factors contributed to the disaster.