In brief
An initial report by the CIAF suggests that a 40cm fracture in the track was present prior to the derailment of a high-speed Iryo train, resulting in a collision with another train and the death of 45 people. The report highlights that notches found on wheels of the Iryo train and earlier trains indicate prior damage. Spanish authorities stress that while the findings are significant, further analysis is necessary to confirm the cause of the disaster.
A fracture in a straight section of track occurred prior to the passage of a high-speed train that derailed, causing last Sunday's rail disaster in which 45 people died, an initial report has found.
A train run by private company Iryo derailed last Sunday and its rear carriages crossed onto the opposite track into the path of an oncoming train run by state-owned Renfe.
The CIAF rail investigation commission stated that not only did the Iryo train's front carriages which remained on the track have notches in their wheels, but three earlier trains that traversed the track did as well.
A gap of almost 40cm (15in) in the track has become the focus of the investigation into the crash.
Sunday's collision occurred at around 19:45 local time (18:45 GMT), about an hour after the Iryo train left Málaga for Madrid. The train's last three carriages derailed and collided with the Huelva-bound Renfe train. Carriage six derailed due to a complete lack of continuity in the track, the preliminary report indicates.
Most of those killed and injured were in the front carriages of the state-operated train.
Earlier this week, Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente confirmed that grooves had been found on the wheels of the Iryo train's carriages, which had previously passed over the track safely.
These notches in the wheels and the observed deformation in the track are consistent with the conclusion that the track was cracked, according to the CIAF preliminary report. Furthermore, three earlier trains that traversed the tracks at 17:21, 19:01, and 19:09 displayed similar notches, suggesting that the damage was significant.
Similar grooves were found on carriages two, three, and four of the Iryo train. The report states that carriage five had a groove on its outer edge, indicating that the rail was already tilting outwards before carriage six derailed.
The CIAF referred to its findings as a working hypothesis, emphasizing that it must be corroborated by later detailed analysis.
Minister Puente noted in a press briefing that it was too early to draw definitive conclusions. If the fracture caused the crash, it likely occurred just moments before the derailment, making it undetectable at the time.
This disaster marks Spain's most serious rail tragedy in over a decade. The previous major derailment that caused 80 deaths occurred in 2013 in Galicia, north-west Spain.
