A commuter train has struck a collapsed retaining wall near Barcelona, killing the driver and injuring 37 people, four of them seriously, firefighters have said.
The incident occurred on Tuesday in Gelida, on the outskirts of the city. Emergency services dispatched 20 ambulances and 38 firefighter units to the scene. Claudi Gallardo, a spokesperson for Catalonia’s fire service, confirmed that four people are in a critical condition.
The crash comes just two days after a collision between two high-speed trains in Andalucía, southern Spain, which left at least 42 dead and dozens injured. Spain has begun three days of mourning for that disaster.
Spain’s railway operator, Adif, said the retaining wall probably collapsed because of heavy rainfall that swept across Catalonia this week. The suburban train derailment occurred in a region long plagued by underfunded rail services and frequent incidents.
Catalonia’s fire service confirmed that no one remained inside the train carriages after a review of the site. Emergency workers are continuing to search for more victims in the wreckage from Sunday’s accident, which took place about 500 miles away.
