Recovery efforts are underway following a train crash in Spain, with authorities investigating a potential gap in the rail system.
The accident occurred around 7:45 pm local time on Sunday, January 18 when an Iryo train traveling from Málaga to Madrid derailed and collided with a Renfe Alvia train bound for Huelva.
Several carriages of the train tumbled down a four-meter embankment, killing at least 41 people, including three still trapped inside a wrecked carriage and injuring more than 120 others in the collision.
Heavy machinery has been brought in to assist rescuers who have been working through the night to recover victims.
As per multiple reports, investigators found a broken section in the train tracks that may have caused the crash.
A source involved in the investigation said technicians examining the site found that the joint between sections of the track had worn down over time.
This wear created a gap between the rail sections which became larger as train continued to pass over it.
Four hundred passengers and staff were on board the two trains, the rail authorities said.
Currently, 41 people including children are still in the hospital with 12 of those are in intensive care.
Transport Minister Óscar Puente said the death toll "is not yet final", and officials are working to identify the dead.
He further said that the investigation could last a month or longer and called the incident as "extremely strange."
