Cause of train tragedy?

30-centimeter crack discovered on accident route

A break in the tracks may have caused the carriages to jump off the rails and end up on the opposite track. Ultrasound is being used in the investigation.(Bild: AP/AP ( via APA) Austria Presse Agentur)

Following the devastating train accident in Andalusia, Spain, investigators are focusing on a crack in the tracks, which may have been caused by a defective weld. Forty-one bodies have been recovered so far, but authorities believe the number could rise to 43.

On Sunday evening, the last three carriages of the high-speed train manufactured by Iryo, which was traveling at more than 200 kilometers per hour, derailed and ended up on the opposite track. At that very moment, another train was approaching – its driver had just 20 seconds to react to the obstacle: far too little time to prevent a collision. After the crash, some of the cars fell several meters down an embankment.

Human error unlikely
Efforts are now underway to determine the cause of the accident. The track had been renovated just a few months ago at a cost of hundreds of millions of euros. The Iryo train was also only four years old and had been inspected just a few days before the tragedy. The investigation into the accident is focusing primarily on the infrastructure as well as on parts of the train involved in the accident, such as its axles, wheels, suspension, and brakes. Speculation that the train may have been traveling too fast has since been refuted. Both trains were traveling slower than the 250 km/h permitted on the line. 

(Bild: AP/AP ( via APA) Austria Presse Agentur)

A break in the tracks could have caused the carriages to jump off the rails and end up on the opposite track. Ultrasound is being used in the investigation.(Bild: AP/AP ( via APA) Austria Presse Agentur)

Investigators are now focusing on damage to the tracks: a break was found at kilometer 318.7, according to Spanish media reports. The rails on the high-speed line are welded to ensure continuous train operation and to minimize friction between the rails and the train.

Investigators: "more than likely cause"
The Spanish newspaper "El Mundo" reports, citing technicians involved in the investigation, that this break is more than 30 centimeters long. It could be due to a poorly welded seam. However, it is also conceivable that the seam was damaged by use or weather conditions, which ultimately led to the devastating break. This is "a more than probable cause of the Iryo derailment," investigators were quoted as saying.

The tracks are being examined using ultrasound. The investigation into the cause of the accident is intended to determine who bears legal responsibility for the tragedy.

There are many mysteries surrounding how the accident could have happened. The head of the train manufacturer stated that the accident was "unusual" because it happened "not on a curve, but on a straight section of track" and at "a moderate speed for this train." In addition, it was a "train with state-of-the-art technology" on which "all inspections and maintenance work had been carried out according to schedule."

After the accident, 41 bodies had already been recovered. However, the number could rise, as 43 people are reported missing. No Austrians are believed to be among the victims. However, Germans are likely to be among those affected, according to the Foreign Office in Berlin.