4 Americans among dozens killed in train crash in Spain, officials say
Four United States citizens were among 69 people killed when a high-speed train slammed into the rear of another train in central Spain last week, officials said Sunday.
The casualties also included citizens from Canada, Japan, Argentina, Mexico, Tunisia, and the Czech Republic. Two Australians and one Japanese citizen remain missing, according to Agence France-Presse and local media reports.
The Center for Integrated Data announced that all but three victims had been identified, with families traveling to Spain for in-person identification.
Collision Details
The crash occurred on October 28 when the high-speed train struck the rear of another train that had stopped, derailing two cars. The trains were traveling from Madrid to Seville with over 540 people on board, and 58 others were injured.
As the contacted families have expressed their wish to travel to Spain to carry out in-person identification, we are awaiting their arrival in the country.
Safety Concerns
Transport Minister Óscar Puente blamed a traffic controller's poor judgment for the accident. Railway unions countered that deteriorating working conditions and understaffing were contributing factors to the safety risks.
Independent investigators found the Renfe train was traveling at 100-125 mph when it collided with the privately owned IRYO train. This marks the second deadly crash on the Madrid-Seville line this year, following a January accident that killed 46 people.
Spain's high-speed rail network, the world's second-largest after China's, had previously recorded no fatal crashes since its introduction over three decades ago.
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