At least 51 foreign nationals from 27 countries were involved in Wednesday’s deadly train collision in Spain’s Toledo province, as investigators continue examining the circumstances behind the disaster that claimed 69 lives. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez confirmed that people from 27 different nationalities could be among those killed or injured in the accident. According to media reports, two foreign nationals are believed to have died, nine sustained injuries, while 18 others escaped with little or no harm. However, the condition and identities of several other victims remain uncertain. These figures could change as authorities continue the identification process. Portuguese authorities have confirmed that one of the train crew members killed in the collision was a Portuguese national, Spanish newspaper El País and news agency EFE reported. As authorities work to identify the victims and determine the full extent of the tragedy, questions are mounting over what caused the collision. Government officials have pointed towards a possible mistake by a railway traffic controller. However, railway unions have raised concerns about staff shortages, ageing safety systems and repeated technical failures. A judge and a special government commission have launched separate investigations into the incident. Prime Minister Sánchez has promised a thorough investigation to establish exactly how the disaster occurred. “This investigation must determine how and why this catastrophe happened,” King Felipe VI said on Thursday after visiting injured passengers at a hospital in Toledo. “We will have to take measures so this never happens again.”

Foreign Victims From 27 Countries Among Those Affected

At least 51 foreign nationals from 27 countries were involved in the collision, according to the information emerging from the investigation. Reports suggest that two foreign nationals lost their lives, while nine suffered injuries. Another 18 foreign nationals reportedly escaped largely unharmed. However, authorities have yet to establish the status of all those involved. Portuguese officials have separately confirmed the death of a Portuguese crew member in the accident. Authorities are continuing efforts to identify victims and notify their families.

LZB Safety System Failure Preceded the Collision

The government's initial account places the beginning of the sequence of events at around 8:30 am on Wednesday, when the LZB communication system stopped functioning. The system monitors train positions and can automatically activate brakes to prevent potential collisions. Following the technical failure, human controllers at a railway control centre in Madrid took over responsibility for monitoring train movements across a 63-kilometre section of the Madrid-Seville railway line. Authorities believe six trains were operating along the affected stretch at the time.

Controller Authorised RENFE Train to Resume Journey

At approximately 8:36 am, a controller authorised a train operated by state-owned railway company RENFE to resume normal-speed operations. Meanwhile, another train operated by private company IRYO was positioned around 25 kilometres further along the track and also attempted to restart. However, the IRYO train's driver could not override the automatic stop command. The driver subsequently informed the controller about the problem.

Two Trains Collided at 8:53 am

The collision occurred at 8:53 am, just 23 minutes after the LZB system stopped working. The impact caused several carriages to derail and severely damaged both trains, leaving parts of the vehicles torn apart. Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente questioned the decision to allow the RENFE train to continue its journey. He described the controller's decision as “inexplicable” and “erroneous”. According to Puente, the train should not have received permission to move while a stop signal remained active. “An order is given for the train to restart, an erroneous decision,” Puente told reporters.

Railway Unions Challenge Government's Initial Explanation

Railway unions have challenged the government's initial focus on the traffic controller. They argue that investigators must also examine the working conditions, technical problems and staffing pressures faced by railway employees. Raquel Ayllón, spokesperson for Spain's railway traffic controllers' union SCF, said workers had repeatedly demanded additional staff over several years. She pointed to increasing workloads and recurring failures of railway safety equipment. “We believe (the minister) is blaming a mere worker who was working under increasingly poor conditions,” she told The Associated Press. “Human error isn’t incomprehensible. What is incomprehensible is that the safety system is regularly failing.”

Unions Question Continued Use of 30-Year-Old LZB System

The train drivers' union SEMAF has also questioned why the Madrid-Seville railway line continues to use the LZB safety system, which is around 30 years old and has reportedly been phased out elsewhere. “The LZB system should have been replaced some time ago,” said Diego Martín, a SEMAF spokesperson. He added that the system had stopped functioning on several previous occasions, raising further questions about its reliability and maintenance.

Railway Workers Launch Strike Over Safety Concerns

Railway employees went on strike on Thursday as part of a previously planned protest. They demanded that the government fulfil its commitments to improve railway safety following another deadly train collision in January. The unions have called for better working conditions, adequate staffing and improvements to railway safety equipment. Union representatives also criticised the release of audio recordings of conversations between train controllers and drivers to Spanish media outlets. They described the disclosure as “irresponsible”.

Spain's High-Speed Rail Privatisation Faces Fresh Questions

The latest disaster has also renewed debate over Spain's decision to open its high-speed passenger railway network to private operators in 2021. Both major train collisions reported in the country this year involved services operated by state-owned RENFE and private railway company IRYO. Railway traffic has increased considerably since the government introduced competition into the sector. According to figures from the SCF union, the average number of daily services on the Madrid-Barcelona route increased from 56 in 2019 to 89 in 2024.

Increased Train Traffic Raises Infrastructure Concerns

The growing number of railway services has raised questions about whether Spain's infrastructure and maintenance arrangements have kept pace with the expansion. Joan Rodríguez, a spokesperson for a Spanish railway workers' union, said the increase in train services had placed additional pressure on the country's railway network. He questioned whether sufficient investment had been made to maintain railway lines and infrastructure. “We are not convinced that the liberalisation of the high-speed passenger rail service was matched by the necessary upkeep of the lines,” Rodríguez told TVE. However, he cautioned against treating privatisation as the direct cause of the accidents. He said investigators should also examine the impact of increased railway traffic on the existing infrastructure.

January Train Disaster Also Killed 46 People

The latest collision follows another major train disaster in January on a section of the Madrid-Seville railway line further south. That accident killed 46 people after one train derailed and struck another train travelling in the opposite direction. The two deadly incidents have intensified pressure on Spanish authorities to investigate railway safety standards, examine the condition of infrastructure and address concerns raised by railway workers.

Judge and Government Commission Lead Separate Investigations

A judge and a special government commission are conducting separate investigations into Wednesday's collision. The investigations are expected to examine the failure of the LZB safety system, the decisions taken by railway controllers and the condition of the railway infrastructure. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has pledged to establish the exact circumstances behind the disaster and determine whether safety improvements are necessary to prevent similar tragedies.