Audio recordings reveal decisions made moments before deadly train crash in Spain

Key Points:

• A collision between two high-speed trains in Spain on Wednesday resulted in at least 69 deaths and dozens of injuries, with 67 passengers still missing as of Thursday.
• Audio recordings reveal that a stopped train operator informed the control center she could not restart the train as another train was approaching at high speed, but the control center authorized the second train to proceed without speed restrictions.
• The crash was caused by a computer malfunction that disabled a safety system, leading to manual control of rail traffic and an erroneous decision to restart the Renfe train, breaking established protocol.
• This incident is Spain’s second deadly high-speed rail collision this year, following a January crash that killed 46 people, raising concerns about rail safety and sparking criticism of the government ahead of upcoming elections.
• Emergency responders worked extensively at the crash site, and Spain has declared three days of mourning following the disaster on its extensive high-speed rail network, the largest in Europe.