Spain is observing three days of national mourning following a catastrophic train collision that claimed at least 68 lives and left dozens injured, marking one of Europe's most severe rail accidents in recent history. Emergency services worked tirelessly through the night, illuminating the wreckage with powerful floodlights to extract victims from mangled metal carriages, many of whom remain unidentified.

Officials are investigating the precise cause of the disaster, which occurred when a high-speed train traveling from Madrid to Seville collided with a stationary train on Wednesday morning. The incident has sent shockwaves across the nation, prompting Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to declare that "the whole of Spain is grieving, adding that "lives have been shattered, families have been torn apart, the pain is immense."

The stationary train, operated by private rail company Iryo, was carrying 147 passengers when it came to a halt due to a computer system failure, according to Spain's transport minister, Óscar Puente. He explained that in such instances, a 24-hour control center in Madrid assumes command. However, the center reportedly made an "inexplicable decision" to allow trains to proceed without speed restrictions, despite the ongoing system issue.

Audio recordings suggest that train controllers in Madrid may have cleared a high-speed train to move forward even while another train ahead was stopped. Iryo confirmed its train was struck from behind by a train operated by Spain's state-owned railway company, Renfe, which was carrying 397 passengers. The impact was so severe that several carriages derailed and tumbled down an embankment.

Eyewitness accounts paint a harrowing picture of the immediate aftermath, with descriptions of crying, bleeding passengers trapped in their seats, and smoke filling the carriages, one of which caught fire. This tragedy follows another serious rail incident earlier this year, when a high-speed crash near Córdoba in January killed 46 people on the same line, albeit much further south.

The disaster has led to the suspension of election campaigning by most political parties ahead of upcoming elections, with the far-right party Vox being the exception. Its leader, Santiago Abascal, stated his party would not participate in efforts he characterized as using mourning to stifle criticism of the country's rail infrastructure.

Overnight, approximately 1,500 individuals gathered outside the Spanish Transport Ministry in Madrid, protesting and demanding the resignations of Prime Minister Sánchez and Minister Puente. Spanish broadcaster TVE reported that police used tear gas to disperse the crowd after protesters threw bottles and flares. No injuries or arrests were reported among the demonstrators.

Adding to the ongoing transport disruption, rail drivers are expected to proceed with a planned strike on Thursday. The Spanish Union of Railway Drivers (Semaf) has indicated that the strike will go ahead, highlighting existing tensions and concerns within the railway sector amidst this devastating event.