Spain has declared three days of national mourning after the tragic railway accident that claimed the lives of at least 68 people, while dozens of others remained injured. Tragedy is considered one of the worst railway accidents in modern European history.
Emergency teams have been working all night at the scene, using projectors, fears and helicopters in search of victims and removing rubble. According to authorities, some of the victims have yet to be identified.
The accident occurred on the morning of October 28, when a train of the private company Iryo, traveling from Madrid to Seville, crashed into a train of Renfe State Company. As a result of the crash, some cars came off the tracks and fell down an clay.
According to Spanish Minister of Transport, the Iryo train, which had 147 passengers aboard, was stopped on the track because of a computer defect. Meanwhile, Renfe’s train carried 397 passengers.
Authorities have launched investigations to clarify the causes of the accident. Audio recording of communications between rail traffic controllers and conductors seems to indicate that a high – speed train was allowed to continue moving, although another train was stuck on track.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed condolences to the victims’ families, claiming that all Spain is in mourning. He deemed the country unacceptable to face two serious railway accidents within the same year.
After the tragedy, most political parties suspended campaigns for the upcoming elections. Meanwhile, about 1,500 people gathered in Madrid to protest and seek responsibility from the government for the state of railway infrastructure.
Police intervened to disperse the crowd after some protesters threw bottles and lighting tools.
Even the European Union expressed solidarity with Spain, lowering its flags to half-strikes in Brussels. Meanwhile, the Spanish train machines’ union announced that the planned strike would be held, with the aim of demanding stronger measures to ensure railway safety.
The accident has restored concerns about railway transport safety in Spain. The last similar-sized railway tragedy in the country was that of 2013, near Santiago de Compostela, where 80 people died.
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