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| Spain train crash: at least 56 dead | Spain train crash: at least 56 dead |
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| At least 56 people were killed when a train was derailed on Wednesday in one of Europe's worst rail disasters. | At least 56 people were killed when a train was derailed on Wednesday in one of Europe's worst rail disasters. |
| The crash occurred as the train approached the north-western Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela at 8.40pm. A further 111 people were reported injured – many of them seriously – in the accident, the worst in Spain for 40 years. | |
| Rescue workers were battling to free passengers trapped inside the carriages, several of which had overturned. Some were on fire. | Rescue workers were battling to free passengers trapped inside the carriages, several of which had overturned. Some were on fire. |
| Bodies covered in blankets lay next to the overturned carriages as smoke billowed from the wreckage. Firemen clambered over the twisted metal trying to get survivors out of the windows. | Bodies covered in blankets lay next to the overturned carriages as smoke billowed from the wreckage. Firemen clambered over the twisted metal trying to get survivors out of the windows. |
| The head of the surrounding Galicia region, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, said at least 56 people were killed and at least 70 injured, more than 20 of them seriously. | The head of the surrounding Galicia region, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, said at least 56 people were killed and at least 70 injured, more than 20 of them seriously. |
| "The scene is shocking, it's Dante-esque," he said in a radio interview. | "The scene is shocking, it's Dante-esque," he said in a radio interview. |
| There were some 218 passengers on board the train, as well as crew, which was travelling from Madrid to the Galician port of Ferrol. The train jumped the tracks on what officials described as "a difficult curve" on the outskirts of Santiago. At least six carriages were derailed and three of them were reported to be on fire. | There were some 218 passengers on board the train, as well as crew, which was travelling from Madrid to the Galician port of Ferrol. The train jumped the tracks on what officials described as "a difficult curve" on the outskirts of Santiago. At least six carriages were derailed and three of them were reported to be on fire. |
| "The train started flipping over, over and over, and carriages ended up on top of others," one passenger said. | "The train started flipping over, over and over, and carriages ended up on top of others," one passenger said. |
| Another said: "It was going so quickly. It seems that on a curve the train started to twist, and the wagons piled up one on top of the other." | Another said: "It was going so quickly. It seems that on a curve the train started to twist, and the wagons piled up one on top of the other." |
| Passenger Ricardo Montesco told Cadena Ser radio station: "A lot of people were squashed on the bottom. We tried to squeeze out of the bottom of the wagons to get out and we realised the train was burning ... I was in the second wagon and there was fire ... I saw corpses." | Passenger Ricardo Montesco told Cadena Ser radio station: "A lot of people were squashed on the bottom. We tried to squeeze out of the bottom of the wagons to get out and we realised the train was burning ... I was in the second wagon and there was fire ... I saw corpses." |
| One witness near the scene told the radio station she heard an explosion before seeing the derailed train. | One witness near the scene told the radio station she heard an explosion before seeing the derailed train. |
| Some reports said the train was travelling at 200km an hour. One carriage was thrown five metres from the track and landed on the other side of a retaining wall beside a row of houses. Several carriages were almost completely destroyed. The local hospital in Santiago launched an appeal for blood donors. The interior ministry ruled out terrorism and early reports suggested the train was travelling too fast when it arrived at the corner outside Santiago. The driver said he entered the corner at high speed. The recommended speed is 80km an hour (50mph), and sources suggest the train was travelling as fast as 180km an hour. | Some reports said the train was travelling at 200km an hour. One carriage was thrown five metres from the track and landed on the other side of a retaining wall beside a row of houses. Several carriages were almost completely destroyed. The local hospital in Santiago launched an appeal for blood donors. The interior ministry ruled out terrorism and early reports suggested the train was travelling too fast when it arrived at the corner outside Santiago. The driver said he entered the corner at high speed. The recommended speed is 80km an hour (50mph), and sources suggest the train was travelling as fast as 180km an hour. |
| Both drivers of the train were unhurt in the crash. One of them was reportedly seen wandering dazed among the dead saying: "I've derailed, what am I going to do, what am I going to do?" It is still not clear whether the apparent excessive speed was the result of human error or a technical fault. | Both drivers of the train were unhurt in the crash. One of them was reportedly seen wandering dazed among the dead saying: "I've derailed, what am I going to do, what am I going to do?" It is still not clear whether the apparent excessive speed was the result of human error or a technical fault. |
| Spain's national rail company, Renfe, admitted that the service was running five minutes late, fuelling the hypothesis that it was trying to make up time. | Spain's national rail company, Renfe, admitted that the service was running five minutes late, fuelling the hypothesis that it was trying to make up time. |
| The crash happened a day before Santiago's main festival, focused on St James. The apostle's shrine is the destination of the famous El Camino de Santiago pilgrimage, followed by Christians since the middle ages. The traditional fiesta de Santiago was cancelled and the archbishop of Santiago, Julián Barrio, sent his condolences. Mariano Rajoy, the prime minister, who was born in Santiago, was due at the scene on Thursday. | The crash happened a day before Santiago's main festival, focused on St James. The apostle's shrine is the destination of the famous El Camino de Santiago pilgrimage, followed by Christians since the middle ages. The traditional fiesta de Santiago was cancelled and the archbishop of Santiago, Julián Barrio, sent his condolences. Mariano Rajoy, the prime minister, who was born in Santiago, was due at the scene on Thursday. |
| Renfe faced criticism because it failed to issue a press release until three hours after the accident and then only reported it as a derailment without any indication of the seriousness of the accident. On Thursday night investigators were still trying to locate the train's "black box" for clues to what caused the accident. | Renfe faced criticism because it failed to issue a press release until three hours after the accident and then only reported it as a derailment without any indication of the seriousness of the accident. On Thursday night investigators were still trying to locate the train's "black box" for clues to what caused the accident. |
| The derailment happened less than two weeks after six people died when a train came off the tracks and hit the platform at a station in central France. | The derailment happened less than two weeks after six people died when a train came off the tracks and hit the platform at a station in central France. |
| That accident may have been caused by a loose steel plate at a junction, French train operator SNCF said. | That accident may have been caused by a loose steel plate at a junction, French train operator SNCF said. |
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