A train driver has been killed and at least 37 people injured, five seriously, after a commuter train derailed and crashed near Barcelona two days after a deadly two-train collision in southern Spain. According to local officials, the Rodalies train collided with a retaining wall which fell on to the track between Gelida and Sant Sadurní. Catalonia regional fire Inspector Claudi Gallardo said all the passengers had been removed from the train. The incident occurred as heavy storms battered north-eastern Spain, with coastal areas in the east and north-west of Spain on high alert because of the weather.
Rail officials believe the wall collapsed as the train was passing shortly after 21:00 (20:00 GMT) on Tuesday evening, striking the driver's cab first and then causing considerable damage to the first carriage of the train in which most of the injured passengers were travelling. The identity of the driver was not immediately clear as three trainees had been with the driver when the accident happened. Firefighters said two of them were among those seriously injured. It took almost an hour to free one of the survivors at the scene in Gelida, about 35km (22 miles) west of Barcelona.
Emergency services said they had evacuated some of the injured to nearby hospitals. Services across Catalonia's main Rodalies commuter rail network have been suspended completely while safety checks are conducted, affecting around 400,000 commuters. Local officials in Catalonia have indicated that heavy rain after months of drought might be responsible for the wall's collapse, and concerns are also raised regarding the overall safety of train operations in the region. The Spanish train drivers' union has called for a strike in response to these tragic incidents.
Rail officials believe the wall collapsed as the train was passing shortly after 21:00 (20:00 GMT) on Tuesday evening, striking the driver's cab first and then causing considerable damage to the first carriage of the train in which most of the injured passengers were travelling. The identity of the driver was not immediately clear as three trainees had been with the driver when the accident happened. Firefighters said two of them were among those seriously injured. It took almost an hour to free one of the survivors at the scene in Gelida, about 35km (22 miles) west of Barcelona.
Emergency services said they had evacuated some of the injured to nearby hospitals. Services across Catalonia's main Rodalies commuter rail network have been suspended completely while safety checks are conducted, affecting around 400,000 commuters. Local officials in Catalonia have indicated that heavy rain after months of drought might be responsible for the wall's collapse, and concerns are also raised regarding the overall safety of train operations in the region. The Spanish train drivers' union has called for a strike in response to these tragic incidents.
