A devastating train crash near Barcelona has claimed the life of the driver and left at least twenty passengers injured, casting a further shadow over Spain's railway network just two days after a catastrophic collision in the south of the country killed forty-two people.
Latest Incident Near Barcelona
Officials confirmed that the latest derailment occurred on Tuesday when a commuter train operating on Rodalies line 4, travelling between the towns of Sant Sadurní d'Anoia and Gelida, collided with a retaining wall that had collapsed onto the tracks. The location is approximately forty kilometres from Barcelona, and the incident took place amid reports of heavy rainfall in the region.
Emergency Response and Rescue Operations
The Spanish news agency EFE reported that emergency services dispatched fifteen ambulances and thirty-five fire crews to the scene. Firefighters were required to free individuals who had become trapped within the train carriages following the impact. The scale of the response underscores the severity of the accident in this Catalonian area.
Nation in Mourning After Earlier Disaster
This tragic event comes as Spain observes three official days of national mourning for the victims of a separate, far more deadly train crash that occurred on Sunday evening near Adamuz in the Córdoba province. That disaster involved a collision between a northbound and a southbound train, collectively carrying nearly five hundred passengers.
Details of the Southern Spain Collision
Rail operator Adif stated that the Sunday crash happened at 7:45 p.m. when the tail end of a train carrying 289 passengers from Malaga to Madrid derailed and crashed into an oncoming train travelling from Madrid to Huelva. The front of the Madrid to Huelva service bore the brunt of the impact, with its first two carriages knocked off the rails and down a slope.
Andalusia's regional President, Juanma Moreno, described a scene of utter devastation, with bodies reportedly flung hundreds of metres from the crash site. The human toll included heartbreaking personal stories, such as that of a young girl who lost both parents returning from seeing The Lion King musical in Madrid.
Survivor Accounts and Miraculous Escapes
Fidel Saez, who lost his mother in the wreck, shared that his brother and children survived. "My brother has been taken off a respirator. He told me it was a miracle that he is alive. He had to get the children through a window," Saez told national broadcaster TVE. His account highlights the chaos and desperate efforts for survival amidst the wreckage.
A Grim Pattern of Railway Incidents
The proximity of these two serious incidents—the deadly southern collision and the fatal Barcelona-area derailment—has raised urgent questions about infrastructure maintenance and safety protocols on Spain's rail network, particularly during adverse weather conditions. The nation is now grappling with a compounded tragedy on its railways.
