The “strange” train accident that left dozens dead in Spain. Experts are “stunned”, says Transport Minister
Railway accident in Spain. Photo source: X
The derailment of a high-speed train in Adamuz, Cordoba, on Sunday afternoon left at least 39 dead and dozens more injured, many of them seriously, according to the latest toll from Spanish authorities.
The cause of the accident is unknown, but Spanish Transport Minister Oscar Puente described it as a “really freak” accident, noting that it happened on a stretch of flat railway that had been rehabilitated in May, according to El Pais.
Puente clearly stated that “it is not possible to speculate on the causes of the accident, very strange considering that it is a straight line on a section renovated in May of last year, after an investment of 700 million, and with a train (that of Iryo, no) practically new”.
The Spanish official added that all the experts consulted “expressed their astonishment” and gave a deadline of at least a month for the results of the investigation to be made public.
How the accident happened
A high-speed train traveling from Malaga to Madrid with around 300 passengers derailed near the village of Adamuz in Cordoba.
After the derailment, the train jumped onto the opposite track and hit a train traveling from Madrid to Huelva with around 200 passengers on board.
Rail operator ADIF said the accident occurred at 19:45, about 10 minutes after the train from Malaga to Madrid, operated by Iryo, left Cordoba.
The second train, which suffered the most from the impact, belonged to the Spanish public railway company Renfe.
All high-speed trains between Madrid and Andalusia were suspended due to the accident.
The investigation, carried out by a specialized team
According to El Pais, a multidisciplinary team will investigate the case, starting Monday morning, and will investigate inch by inch, the section of the railway in Adamuz (Cardoba) where the derailment of the train traveling on the Malaga-Madrid line took place on Sunday.
The group, already being formed, will integrate experts under the command of the Commission for the Investigation of Railway Accidents (CIAF), created in December 2007 as an independent body, although affiliated to the Ministry of Transport, to conduct technical analyzes following railway accidents and incidents.
VIDEO Two high-speed trains collided near Cordoba, in southern Spain. The death toll is increasing: there are dozens of dead and injured / Official: “It's an extremely strange accident”
