'Minister Of Death': Huge Anti-Government Protests In Spain After Train Crash Kill 68

Public anger is boiling in Spain after at least 68 people were killed and dozens more were injured in one of the worst rail disasters in Europe's modern history. While rescue teams worked through the night to cut open metal carriages in the search for accident victims, thousands of people gathered in Rome calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Transport Minister Oscar Puente after the second major high-speed train crash in Spain this year.

According to a report by Spanish broadcaster TVE, around 1,500 people gathered outside the Spanish Transport Ministry building in the capital overnight, calling for ministers' ouster. Protesters also reportedly threw bottles and flares at law enforcement officers, following which police used tear gas to disperse the crowd. 

So far, no injuries or arrests have been reported. Visuals of the demonstration circulating on social media showed clashes between demonstrators and police, as protesters questioned the authorities' handling of the crash. Demostrators were also seen carrying banners reading "CRIMINALES ABAJO EL REGIMEN DEL 78" (Criminals Down with the Regime of '78).

🚨🇪🇸 BARCELONA RIOTS: FAKE PROTEST CALLS, REAL CHAOS TikTok accounts linked to “Blocus” allegedly lured youths into unrest disguised as student protests. -130 arrested, 76 minors -14 police officers injured -More rallies promoted across #Europe. #Barcelona #Spain https://t.co/X9CCdxV0Fu

— Geo Politics Desk (@GeoPoliticsDesk) October 28, 2026

Protesters also chanted "Scar Puente, minister of death” as police moved against the them in the capital.

High-Speed ​​Train Collision in Urda, Spain: At Least 68 Dead; Second Major Accident on the Same Line in Nine Months The Incident: A High-Speed ​​Train Rear-Ends a Stationary Train At approximately 8:53 a.m. on October 28, 2026, on the high-speed rail line between Madrid and Seville—near Urda in the province of Toledo—an AVE high-speed train operated by Renfe struck the rear of a stationary high-speed train operated by the private company Iryo. A total of 544 people were on board the two trains: 147 on the Iryo train (including an infant) and 397 on the Renfe train. The impact caused two carriages of the Iryo train to derail and tumble down an embankment approximately four meters high. The death toll continued to rise throughout the day. Emiliano García-Page, President of the regional government, confirmed at an afternoon press conference that at least 68 people had died—40 from the Iryo train and 24 from the Renfe train—and warned that the figure "is very likely to rise further." More than 100 others were injured, some seriously. The Immediate Cause: Erroneous Authorization Following a Safety System Failure According to preliminary information from the Spanish Ministry of Transport, the accident stemmed from an erroneous authorization issued following a failure in the safety system. At 8:32 a.m. that morning, the LZB system—which automatically monitors train speeds and maintains safe intervals between trains—malfunctioned, bringing six trains to a halt along a stretch of approximately 90 kilometers. Eight minutes later, the control center for Adif, the railway infrastructure manager, authorized the resumption of traffic. The issue lies in how traffic was resumed. The Ministry of Transport noted that in the event of an LZB system failure, trains should have operated under "visual driving" protocols; this requires drivers to adjust their speed to ensure they can stop before encountering any obstacles, with a maximum permitted speed of 40 km/h. Instead, the control center authorized the Renfe train to continue its journey under normal operating conditions. A Renfe train driver requested permission to proceed past a red signal; the control center granted this request but failed to inform the driver that an Iryo train was still stationary on the same track ahead. The Renfe train subsequently accelerated to over 200 km/h before colliding with the stationary Iryo train. Minister of Transport Óscar Puente described the decision as a "violation of regulations." While he confirmed that the LZB signaling system had indeed malfunctioned, he emphasized that established safety protocols exist for such scenarios. Preliminary investigations point to human error, though the specific assignment of responsibility remains under investigation. Protests and Political Fallout: Calls for the Minister's Resignation Following the accident, approximately 500 protesters gathered outside the Ministry of Transport in Madrid to demand Puente's resignation. Chanting slogans such as "Óscar Puente, murderer," the protesters clashed with police. Some threw bottles and Molotov cocktails at officers, who responded by deploying tear gas and pepper spray, and by conducting charges to disperse the crowd. Puente has explicitly stated that he will not resign, asserting that the current priority is to determine the cause of the accident and resolve the situation. He characterized the incident as "inexplicable." However, the pressure extends beyond the streets: the railway union UGT has publicly questioned the Minister's decision to pin responsibility on Adif control center staff before the investigation has concluded. The union is calling for a broader inquiry that includes work organization, staffing levels, outsourcing practices, and management decisions. The Second Incident in Nine Months: Context of the Adamuz Accident This accident follows another major, high-casualty collision on the same high-speed rail line that occurred just nine months earlier. On January 18, 2026, near Adamuz in the province of Córdoba, two high-speed trains collided, resulting in 46 deaths and over 120 injuries. The trains involved in that incident were also operated by Renfe and Iryo. In April 2026, RTVE reported that a Civil Guard document indicated that Adif's monitoring system had detected signs of a potential rail fracture nearly 22 hours before the Adamuz accident—yet no automatic alarms were triggered. The commonalities between the two accidents—occurring on the same line, involving the same two operators, and stemming from failures in safety systems or monitoring protocols—form the structural backdrop for the current public outrage. This is not an isolated "misfortune"; rather, it marks the second time in nine months that a high-speed rail line has claimed dozens of lives under nearly identical circumstances. Electoral Context Spain is scheduled to hold a general election on November 29. With the accidents occurring on the eve of the election campaign, railway safety and the state of infrastructure have become the focal point of political debate. While many analysts previously viewed the electoral landscape as favorable to Prime Minister Sánchez, the Urda accident could shift that assessment. On the day of the incident, Sánchez stated that "all of Spain is in mourning" and pledged that "if there has been any negligence, it will be brought to light." The political future of [Minister] Puente, along with the Sánchez administration's accountability regarding the oversight of railway safety, will take center stage in Spanish public discourse over the coming weeks. #Spain #Urda #RailwayAccident #Renfe #Iryo #RailwaySafety #TheWorldCorrespondent

— THE WORLD CORRESPONDENT (@TheWorldCorresp) October 29, 2026

Rail drivers are also expected to stage a strike today, with the Spanish Union of Railway Drivers (Semaf) saying the protest will be held "in defence of railway safety", a BBC report said.

MADRID ERUPTS IN PROTEST AFTER DEADLY TRAIN CRASH 🔹 More than 1,000 people gathered outside Spain's Transport Ministry, demanding answers and accountability after a train collision killed 68 people. 🔹 Anger is mounting as the disaster marks the second major high-speed train crash in Spain this year. 🔹 Families are demanding answers, while protesters are calling for those responsible to be held accountable. #Spain #Madrid

— THREE POINTS NEWS (@ThreePointNews) October 28, 2026

Spain's Crowned Rails 

Spain's network of high-speed rail has been considered one of the nation's crowning achievements. It ranks second to China in track mileage in the world. Until this year, it had not endured a deadly crash since coming into service over three decades ago.

The Wednesday collision that turned a sleepy stretch of rail lined by olive groves into a scene of carnage came just four weeks before the country votes in a national election. Spanish Prime Minister Sanchez visited the crash site in the central province of Toledo after regional authorities confirmed that more than 60 people had died and dozens more were being treated at hospitals.

Only in January, 46 people had died when one train jumped the track and slammed into the side of another going the opposite way in southern Spain.

Sanchez pledged an investigation into the latest collision and improvements to prevent another tragedy like the two that have shaken trust in a rail system that carried 45 million travellers last year, including millions of tourists. Sanchez's government also declared three days of mourning starting Thursday.

Spain Protests

People in Spain had already been protesting over housing shortages and surging rents, and the crash has intensified the anger. The movement was triggered last month after police evicted an 87-year-old woman from her lifelong Madrid apartment. The woman, Maricarmen Abascal, was carried out on a stretcher after the police broke down her door, in a scene that caused widespread outrage.

Her plight tapped into long-simmering resentment in Spain's major cities over spiralling costs to rent or buy homes. Tens of thousands of protesters took to Madrid's streets over weeks, rattling keys and blowing whistles.