Commuter train near Barcelona hits collapsed wall killing driver and injuring nearly 40 | Spain
A commuter train crashed into a collapsed retaining wall near Barcelona, killing the driver and injuring 37 people, four seriously, fire crews said.
Four people are believed to be in critical condition after the incident in Spain’s northeastern Catalonia region, regional fire department spokesman Claudi Gallardo told reporters.
Tuesday’s incident occurred just two days after two high-speed trains collided in the country’s southern Andalusia, killing at least 42 people and injuring dozens more.
“A retaining wall collapsed on the tracks and caused an accident involving a passenger train,” the region’s civil protection agency said on its social media accounts.
Emergency service officials said 20 ambulances along with 38 fire brigade units were sent to the area in Gelida, on the outskirts of Barcelona.
The Catalan fire department said that “there was no one left” in the train wagons after inspecting the area.
“We are examining the underside of the train and scanning the area to rule out any other victims,” it said in X.
“We continue to provide security so that the area can operate safely.”
Spain’s railway operator Adif said the containment wall probably collapsed due to the heavy rain that ravaged Catalonia this week.
The commuter rail derailment occurred in a region long plagued by underfunded rail service and frequent incidents.
Emergency workers on Tuesday were still searching for more victims in the wreckage of Sunday’s crash, which occurred nearly 500 miles away, as the country began three days of mourning.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
