Previous research attributes high-speed train collision in Spain to technical failure and human error

Published at: 30/10/2026 12:44 PM

The preliminary report submitted by the Independent Administrative Authority for the Technical Investigation of Railway, Maritime and Civil Aviation Accidents and Incidents determined that the Spanish High-Speed Train (AVE) was running at a speed of between 160 and 200 kilometers per hour when it hit the unit that was stopped on the track. Investigations are moving forward focusing on a possible malfunction in the LZB signaling system, in addition to the orders issued from the command center, while the governmental hypothesis points to human failure.

According to the official balance sheets provided by the corresponding authorities, a total of 558 people were traveling in the damaged units. So far, there have been 70 formalized complaints of disappearance, with 42 foreign citizens belonging to seven nationalities registered among the victims, of whom 24 are still unlocated; among the confirmed fatalities there is a citizen of Argentine nationality, while the search for citizen Agustín Randazzo is ongoing.

Given the seriousness of the incident, an investigating court decided to open the corresponding judicial proceedings to clarify the technical and operational determinants of the event, which represents the second major railway accident recorded in Spanish territory in a period of less than ten months, an event that was described as “inexplicable” by the Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, Óscar Puente.

Technical research organizations and judicial bodies carry out the expert work at the site of the event, coordinating efforts with the diplomatic delegations of the nations involved for the comprehensive care of foreign citizens and regularly reporting on the progress of the proceedings.

Mazo News Team