Crash investigators scoured the underground tunnel where the accident took place, which so far has claimed 41 lives. Eleven people remain in hospital, with two in a critical condition — an 11-year-old girl and a 30-year-old woman, who was pregnant.

The data recorder, recovered from the crash scene, is being analysed for information about what went wrong. However, the Valencian government said today that the most likely cause was that the train was going too fast when it rounded a corner to enter the Jesús station.

Authorities initially blamed a collapse of the underground tunnel and then a broken wheel on the train. However, a Valencian official said that he had inspected the scene and found both the tunnel and the train wheels to be in perfect condition.

José Ramón García Antón, the official in charge of infrastructure in Valencia, described the crash scene as a nightmarish “mass of steel, destroyed and twisted carriages, broken glass and buckled doors”.

The driver of the train has been confirmed dead, complicating the probe. Some of the surviving passengers said that the train seemed to be moving too quickly before one of its carriages tumbled off the rails, dragging others down with it.

A judge is set to begin taking statements from witnesses as part of a routine investigation into the incident. However, many Spanish newspapers are calling for an official inquiry to determine whether poor maintenance caused the accident.

The Madrid newspaper El País demanded “an exhaustive investigation” into the workings of the entire Valencian Metro system, not only the crash itself. Some Valencian newspapers are already seeking culprits.

“It could have been human error, but it is almost certain that the condition of the carriages had something to do with it,” La Voz said. “Sooner or later, the responsibility will need to be established.”

Unions have criticised the authorities for being too quick to blame the driver, saying that the line in question was poorly maintained. A three-way crash on the same line last September caused 35 injuries. Authorities said at the time that driver error was the principal cause.

The accident happened today as hundreds of thousands of Roman Catholic pilgrims poured into Valencia ahead of the visit of Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday. Thousands of sailing enthusiasts are also in the Mediterranean seaside city this week to watch warm-up races ahead of the America´s Cup, which will be contested next year.

Flags flew at half-mast in Valencia, where thousands of people gathered to observe five minutes of silence in memory of the victims. José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, the Spanish President, cut short a trip to India to attend a Mass in Valencia´s cathedral tonight. King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía are expected to attend.

Family members wept outside the mortuary where the bodies are being held, and 500 people are receiving counselling. More than half the dead appear to have come from Valencia or its outlying areas. However, the names of the dead have not yet been released out of respect for the families.

Explore World News

• World Agenda

• Iraq News

• US & Americas News

• Europe News

• Middle East News

• Afghanistan News

• Asia News

• Africa News

• Ireland News

Times Recommends

• A doctor, a daughter and a man called Johnny
• Mona Lisa's smile may belie ill health
• ‘Parasite economy’ lies behind Greek tragedy