36 VICTIMS OF TRAIN COLLISION IDENTIFIED

MADRID, OCTOBER 31 /SRNA/ - The identities of 36 people killed in last week's collision between high-speed trains in Spain have been established following autopsies, authorities in the region of Castilla-La Mancha said.

All 69 bodies recovered underwent autopsies at the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Toledo, the provincial capital south of Madrid, regional authorities said.

The identities of 36 victims of the accident have now been definitively established, and the families of 27 victims have been notified, officials said.

Authorities have asked relatives of missing passengers to provide DNA samples to speed up the identification process, DPA reported.

Meanwhile, around 50 family members and friends are still waiting for news of their loved ones at a support center in Toledo. Nearly 30 psychologists are reportedly providing assistance.

The accident occurred on Wednesday, October 28, when a high-speed train collided with a train that was stationary on the tracks near the municipality of Urda in Toledo province, around 130 kilometers south of Madrid.

The railway line between Madrid and Andalusia remains closed in both directions.

Of the approximately 200 injured passengers, 34 are still receiving treatment at four hospitals, 15 of them in intensive care.

The failure of the LZB train protection system and possible errors in decision-making at the Madrid rail traffic control center are the focus of the investigation.

Radio recordings released by the media suggest that the driver of the Renfe train was instructed by a staff member at the Madrid control center to continue operating normally, even though the LZB system remained out of service and another train was still on the tracks.