At least 68 people died when a high-speed train crashed into a second train that had stopped on the track ahead of it near Urda, Spain, government authorities reported Oct. 28.
An estimated 58 people were injured. Cause of the accident is being investigated but a malfunctioning signal system apparently contributed to the accident USA TODAY reported, citing Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente.
The two high-speed passenger trains were traveling southbound on the same track from Madrid toward Seville when they collided in the Toledo province in central Spain.
The crash happened at about 9:15 a.m. local time. Rescue workers are searching for other victims.
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Why did the trains crash?
The transport minister said the crash
happened after a Renfe train was authorized to continue its journey despite an active red signal due to a stationary Iryo train ahead.
Puente said the red signal was issued due to a computer communications failure which automatically stopped traffic and "an erroneous decision" was made to restart the Renfe train.
The Renfe train struck the stationary Iryo train from behind, causing several carriages of both trains to derail. Renfe officials said its train, which had been authorized to travel, crashed into the Iryo train that had remained stationary "for reasons we don't know."
Renfe is the national railway company owned by Spain. Iryo is a privately owned high-speed railway.
Castilla-La Mancha region spokesperson Esther Padilla said 147 people had been travelling on the Iryo train and 397 on the Renfe train.
The accident is the second deadly train crash in Spain this year. An estimated 46 people died when a high-speed train derailed and crashed into an oncoming train near Adamuz, in the Cordoba province, in January.
Contributing: Natalie Neysa Alund
Source: USA TODAY Network reporting and research; Reuters
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How did deadly Spain train crash happen? Here's what we know so far
