Spain’s Transport Minister Óscar Puente has announced that he will resign following two deadly train accidents in the country this year. Reuters and Spanish media reported his decision. Puente did not give a date for his departure.
Speaking after a four-hour parliamentary hearing about the latest crash, Puente said a transport minister could not remain in office after two accidents of such severity in less than a year. He said he had continued in the role for now to manage the consequences and take action. Opposition parties had previously called for his resignation, which he initially rejected.
During the hearing, Puente pointed to several hundred million euros in government investment in rail modernisation, according to El País. The leader of the conservative People’s Party said his responsibility was to prevent fatal accidents, rather than explain them after they happened. A party colleague described the resignation as an “act of dignity.” The left-wing Movimiento Sumar said it did not hold Puente responsible for the crash, despite calls for him to step down.
Last Wednesday, 69 people died when two high-speed trains collided in the central Spanish region of Castile-La Mancha. In January, 46 people were killed when a high-speed train derailed near Adamuz, in Andalusia, and collided with an oncoming train.
Sources: Der Spiegel.