The number of people killed in the train accident in Urda, Toledo, remains at 69. The Railway Accident Investigation Commission has corrected the figure of 74 that it had previously communicated and has set the balance at 69 fatalities, which the president of Castilla-La Mancha, Emiliano García-Page, had announced in the morning.
Correction note: In a previous version of this news, 'ElConstitucional.es' reported that the number of fatalities had risen to 74, following the figure released by the Railway Accident Investigation Commission. The agency has subsequently corrected the data and maintains the balance at 69 deceased persons.
Emergency services continue to work at the scene where a Renfe AVE train hit an Iryo train from behind on Wednesday, which remained stopped on the same track. Search and recovery efforts are being carried out with the help of heavy machinery, while families continue to await information about their loved ones.
The accident has also left more than a hundred people injured. Emergency services report that 53 remain hospitalized and indicate that 15 are in critical condition. Health balances have been updated throughout the day.
The causes of the collision are still under investigation. In his initial explanations, the Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, indicated that a malfunction of the LZB, the system that supervises train circulation, caused several convoys to stop. Afterwards, Adif's control center in Atocha authorized the AVE to resume its journey normally, according to the minister.
The known audio recordings of the communications include that order and the subsequent warning from the Iryo driver that she was still stopped. Investigations must clarify the complete sequence of events, the functioning of the safety systems, and possible responsibilities.
The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, participated this Thursday in Toledo in the emergency coordination meeting alongside García-Page. After the meeting, he pledged to clarify "every last detail" of the tragedy and to strengthen railway safety. The Government has decreed three days of official mourning, from this Thursday until Saturday.
For its part, Puente's team has announced that the minister will request to appear at his own request before the Permanent Deputation of Congress to report on the accident. He will also offer a new press conference this Friday morning.
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia visited the injured admitted to the University Hospital of Toledo this Thursday. After the visit, the monarch expressed confidence that the investigation will reveal "how and why" the accident occurred.
