Spanish investigators were today trying to find out why a passenger train jumped the tracks and sent eight cars crashing into each other killing at least 77 people and injuring more than 140.

Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy is heading to the scene of the crash in north-western Spain that killed 77 people in one of the country’s worst rail accidents in decades.

At least 77 people have been killed and more than 100 injured as a passenger train derailed in north-western Spain, according to reports.