At Least 56 Dead in Spanish Train Derailment

A Spanish train travelling in the North-west of the country derailed on Wednesday, killing at least 35 people.

A Spanish train traveling in the north west of the country derailed on Wednesday, killing at least 35 people (Update: the death toll jumped to 56 later Wednesday night). And as workers still recover bodies and the injured from the scene, it's already been dubbed the worst rail accident in the country in four decades.

The high-speed train, run by state-owned Renfe, entirely derailed from the tracks in the crash, the cause of which is still undetermined. It had over 200 passengers on board at the time of the crash. The train derailed near the city of Santiago de Compostela:

The regional government president of the crash site described the scene to the AFP as "Dante-esque," adding, "There are bodies laying on the railway track." The carriages, once they derailed, reportedly fell tumbled over several times, falling into each other as they came to a stop. At least one carriage was ripped apart.

Update, 8:30 p.m.: The derailment, as far as anyone can tell, was an accident. That's after some early reports cited noises of explosions heard by witnesses just before the crash. A spokesperson for Spain's interior ministry told the Wall Street Journal that there was no evidence suggesting terrorism.