Spain train crash death toll reaches 68 as minister blames 'inexplicable' control-centre order

At least 68 people died after a state-run Renfe high-speed train ran into the back of a stopped Iryo train near the town of Urda in Toledo province on Wednesday morning, according to the BBC, The Guardian and Euronews. Dozens more were injured, and Spain began three days of official mourning on Thursday, The Guardian reported. It is Spain's second deadly high-speed rail collision this year.

Puente said a computer failure at about 8:30 a.m. halted about six trains on the line and the control centre took over. He said the Renfe train was then cleared at 8:36 a.m. to resume at normal speed despite a red signal, instead of at the reduced line-of-sight speed the protocol requires, and he called that decision "inexplicable," the BBC and Euronews reported. Puente said the train drivers were not to blame, and investigators are examining how the order was given.

Why it matters: The crash has raised fresh questions about safety on Spain's high-speed network, The Guardian reported. Renfe suspended services between Madrid, Ciudad Real and Andalusia after the collision, according to the BBC.