Broken Rail May Have Caused Spanish High-Speed Train Crash

The high-speed train crash that killed 45 people in Spain on Sunday may have been caused by a rail fracture that likely occurred before the accident, based on preliminary findings of a probe into the disaster.

Investigators with Spain’s Comisión de Investigación de Accidentes Ferroviarios identified consistent impact marks on the wheels of several cars, as well as similar marks on trains that had passed through the same section earlier, according to a statement on Friday. This suggests the rail fracture happened before the crash, they said.