Death toll from Spanish fatal train crash rises to 45
A passenger train on the Cartagena-Los Nietos line collided with a crane in Alumbres on Thursday, leaving several people with minor injuries. This marked Spain's fourth rail accident in less than a week.
MADRID, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from Sunday's train crash in southern Spain has risen to 45 after Spanish Civil Guard officers discovered two additional bodies on Thursday.
The bodies were found after authorities extended the search perimeter around the crash site near the town of Adamuz, in the province of Cordoba. About 200 Civil Guard agents were involved in the operation, supported by search dogs, drones, and infrared equipment.
The accident occurred on Sunday when a train carrying 317 passengers on the Malaga-Madrid route derailed for reasons that remain unknown near Adamuz, approximately 20 km from Cordoba. The derailed train then struck a high-speed train traveling on an adjacent track from Madrid to Huelva, causing the second train to derail.
So far, 43 of the victims have been identified, including 40 Spanish nationals, one Russian, one German, and one Moroccan citizen. Most of the victims were traveling on the train bound for Huelva. Authorities announced on Wednesday that the city will host a state funeral for the victims on Jan. 31. Investigations into the cause of the crash are ongoing.
In a related development, a passenger train on the Cartagena-Los Nietos line collided with a crane in Alumbres, near the southeastern city of Cartagena, on Thursday, leaving several people with minor injuries, according to emergency services. This marked Spain's fourth rail accident in less than a week.
Earlier, on Tuesday, two rail incidents were reported in the northeastern region of Catalonia. One driver was killed, and at least 37 passengers were injured when a wall collapsed onto a commuter train near the town of Gelida. In a separate incident near Blanes, a train was derailed by a rockfall. Local authorities said both accidents were likely caused by torrential rainfall that has affected parts of the region in recent days. ■