Spain begins three days of mourning after 69 people lost their lives in train crash

Spain's government has declared three days of mourning after the country's second high-speed rail disaster this year claimed the lives of 69 people.

Wednesday's crash occurred in the central province of Toledo, where one train struck a stationary train from behind, derailing three carriages, raising fresh concerns about the safety of the country's rail network.

Search teams with sniffer dogs continued to look for victims on Thursday morning, while cranes helped shift the carriages as police and soldiers helped pick through the wreckage. One more body was found overnight, taking the death toll to 69, according to the regional leader of Castilla La Mancha, Emiliano García-Page.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez pledged an investigation into the collision and improvements to prevent further tragedies on the railways as he visited the crash site near the town of Urda.

As recently as January, 46 people died when one train jumped the track and slammed into the side of another going the opposite way in southern Spain.

“It is clear that we need to reinforce the safety of our train service to rebuild the trust in our high-speed rail,” Sánchez said.

“It is not acceptable for a country like Spain to endure two high-speed train accidents in the same year.”

Sánchez’s government declared three days of mourning starting from Thursday.