The key facts

  • The death toll rose from 69 to at least 74 people according to the Ministry of Transport
  • At the hospital in Toledo, 15 patients are in intensive care and another eight in regular wards
  • The opposition and the ruling coalition's partners are demanding an investigation; the transport minister's fate remains undecided

Casualties and the royal couple's visit

The death toll from the collision of two passenger trains in the Spanish province of Toledo has risen to at least 74 people — these figures were released by the country's Ministry of Transport, as reported by euronews. According to the newspaper El Diario, cited by Life.ru, the earlier figure was 69 dead. The disaster occurred on the morning of October 28 near the town of Urda in the autonomous community of Castilla–La Mancha on the Madrid–Seville line; according to preliminary data, the two trains carried a total of 544 people.

Mourning and the Crown's attention

On Thursday, October 29, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia cancelled official engagements and visited the hospital in Toledo, where they met with the injured and relatives of the victims and thanked the rescue workers. The hospital is treating 15 patients in the intensive care unit and another eight in regular wards. The King had earlier expressed condolences to the families of the victims of the 'terrible accident' and praised the work of the emergency services. As a mark of respect, the royal household cancelled official events for the coming days — this coincided with the start of three days of national mourning on Thursday and affects events both in Madrid and in the Canary Islands.

Investigation and political pressure

The cause of the disaster has not yet been established. According to preliminary reports in Spanish media, investigators are examining the circumstances under which one of the trains was allowed to continue moving despite problems with the railway safety system and the presence of another train on the tracks. The disaster could have political consequences for Pedro Sánchez's government ahead of the general election: the opposition and the partners of the ruling coalition have demanded a thorough investigation and an audit of the state of the railway infrastructure, while Transport Minister Óscar Puente has come under pressure following his public statements about the tragedy. According to Life.ru, the question of possible personnel decisions may be considered after the mourning period ends and new investigation results emerge; no resignation of the minister has been reported so far. Life.ru also notes that this is already the second train incident in Spain in two days: earlier, nearly 500 people were stranded in a tunnel under Madrid.