Authorities have confirmed that four US citizens, along with one each from Canada, Japan, Argentina, Mexico, Tunisia, and the Czech Republic, were among the 69 people killed in last week's high-speed train collision in Spain. The disaster, described as one of Europe's deadliest rail accidents this century, has left relatives enduring an agonizing wait while forensic teams work to identify the deceased, sometimes relying on individual body parts.
A legal body composed of police and forensics experts announced late Sunday the confirmation of these 10 foreign victims. Prior to this update, officials had already reported the deaths of a French citizen, a Portuguese citizen, and 54 Spaniards. According to the statement, all but three of the victims have now been identified. Three active missing person reports remain concerning two Australians and one Japanese citizen. Authorities noted that contacted families have expressed a wish to travel to Spain for in-person identification, and officials are awaiting their arrival.
The accident occurred when a service operated by state company Renfe collided with the rear of a stationary train belonging to Spanish operator Iryo outside the central village of Urda, approximately 130km south of Madrid. This incident marks Spain's second high-speed train collision this year, following a crash in the southern region of Andalusia in January that killed 46 people. The tragedy has raised fresh questions regarding the country's rail safety after an automatic safety system failure halted trains on a 63km stretch of track. Despite this, a control center authorized the Renfe service to resume its journey while the other train remained stationary.
The disaster comes one month before the general election scheduled for November 29, in which Socialist leader Pedro Sánchez will seek to overcome unfavorable polls and extend his eight-year premiership.
Sources: The Guardian World.