HTania Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 At least 35 people were killed and 50 injured when a train derailed on the outskirts of the northern Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela on Wednesday in one of the country's worst rail disasters. Bodies covered in blankets lay next to carriages as smoke billowed from the wreckage a few hundred meters away from the entrance to the city's main station. The train derailed on the eve of the ancient city's main Christian festival when thousands of pilgrims travel in to pack the streets. "It was going so quickly ... It seems that on a curve the train started to twist, and the wagons piled up one on top of the other," passenger Ricardo Montesco told Cadena Ser radio station. "A lot of people were squashed on the bottom. We tried to squeeze out of the bottom of the wagons to get out and we realized the train was burning ... I was in the second wagon and there was fire ... I saw corpses," he added. Another witness told the radio station she had heard an explosion before seeing the derailed train. A spokesman for the regional government's office described the derailment as an accident. But the wreckage will stir memories of 2004's Madrid train bombing, carried out by Islamists, that killed 191 people. "We can confirm there was an accident, but we cannot confirm mortalities as yet," the official told Reuters. The head of the surrounding Galicia region, Alberto Nunez Feijoo, said at least 35 people had died and it was too early to say what had caused the derailment. The crash happened a day before the city's main festival paying tribute to the remains of St James, one of Jesus' 12 disciples. The apostle's shrine in the city is the destination of the famous El Camino de Santiago pilgrimage, followed by Christians since the Middle Ages. The city is also the birthplace of Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. No one was immediately available to comment from Spanish train operator Renfe whose logo was visible on the wrecked carriages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HTania Posted July 24, 2013 Author Share Posted July 24, 2013 Photos: http://ca.news.yahoo.com/photos/deadly-train-crash-in-spain-slideshow/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Master Mind Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 Why are all these trains derailing all of the sudden? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeanAvery16 Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 hmm might have to rethink my euro rail pass Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Vintage Canuck- Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 Why are all these trains derailing all of the sudden? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theminister Posted July 24, 2013 Share Posted July 24, 2013 It won't take long to blame this on the Basques or Moroccan Muslims or both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keslerific Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 Why are all these trains derailing all of the sudden? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pimpcurtly Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 Brutal. Thoughts out to the victims and their families. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buddhas Hand Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 It won't take long to blame this on the Basques or Moroccan Muslims or both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theminister Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 If I was to take a guess I would say it is lack of maintenance of their infrastructure. Spain has been/ is one of the European Nations that is in serious financial trouble and usually infrastructure is the first thing that suffers when a nation goes broke . Condolences to the families of the deceased. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canucks#01fan Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 Very saddening, rip to all the victims Hopefully their government gets their priorities straight and improves infrastructure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buddhas Hand Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 Oh, I totally agree. I used to ride the Renfe trains all of the time. Nonetheless, knowing the way Spanish politicians love to use tragedy for their personal gain, they'll find someone for the population to blame asap. That's the way it works there, it can't ever be their own fault. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottish⑦Canuck Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 Upwards of 70 dead now. Pretty awful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
î мцšт вяздк чфµ Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 http://youtu.be/5HgijA7zz-c One of the drivers who was trapped in the cab of the train after the accident is quoted as saying moments after the crash that the train had taken the curve at 190 km/h (118mph) when entering the curve, unidentified investigation sources have told Spanish media. The speed limit on that section of track is 80km/h. "I hope no one died because it will weigh on my conscience," he said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HTania Posted July 25, 2013 Author Share Posted July 25, 2013 80 people dead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Habitat Posted July 27, 2013 Share Posted July 27, 2013 The driver deserves to rot in hell. Wow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stihlman65 Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 Yeah I havent heard of any trains getting derailed in the news the past few years and now I've heard 3 the past month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hat Trick Maker Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 yet another one.... http://news.sky.com/...iss-train-crash Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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