Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has declared three days of national mourning from Thursday (October 29) following a deadly train crash that killed at least 68 people.

Sánchez pledged to address any shortcomings in railway safety and said a thorough investigation was needed to determine the cause of the accident. He added that two high-speed train accidents in a single year were unacceptable and vowed to restore public confidence in the rail network.

The crash occurred on Wednesday (October 28) in Spain’s central province of Toledo when a Renfe high-speed train travelling at around 200 kilometres per hour struck a stationary Iryo train.

According to the transport minister, a signalling fault occurred before the collision. Despite a red signal, the Renfe train was authorised to proceed without a speed limit being imposed. The death toll could rise further.