One Canadian Confirmed Among 69 Victims of Fatal Spanish Train Crash | USNN World News
By Jennifer Cowen
Global Affairs has confirmed one Canadian was killed in last week’s high-speed rail collision in Spain.
Sixty-nine people were killed on Oct. 28 when a high-speed train slammed into another train parked on the tracks near Urda in the province of Toledo, Spain.
Spanish officials have confirmed that 54 of those killed were Spanish nationals. The victims also included one Canadian and four Americans, as well as citizens of France, Japan, Argentina, Mexico, Portugal, Tunisia, and the Czech Republic. Dozens of others were injured in the crash.
Global Affairs Canada said in an emailed statement that it “is aware of the death of a Canadian citizen” and that “six additional Canadians have sustained injuries.”
“Our thoughts are with their families and loved ones as well as all of those affected,” a Global Affairs spokesperson said. “Canadian officials are providing consular assistance and are in contact with local authorities to gather more information.”
Consular officials are ready to provide assistance to those who request it and services are tailored to the needs of the situation, the spokesperson said.
The federal agency said no further information can be disclosed due to “privacy considerations.”
Global Affairs reported last week that one Canadian was missing after the crash. The agency did not provide further details, but it is believed this missing person is the same individual who has now been confirmed dead.
Forensic teams have definitively identified 66 of the 69 fatal victims, and Spanish officials have said two Australians and one Japanese person remain missing. Spanish authorities have said they expect the missing person reports to be resolved shortly as the remaining three bodies are scientifically matched.
The two high-speed trains, with a combined total of more than 500 passengers, collided at 8:53 a.m. on Oct. 28 while heading in the same direction from Madrid to Seville in southwestern Spain, the country’s rail system operator ADIF said.
A train run by the state-owned RENFE company collided with the rear of a stationary train operated by the private company IRYO. The impact derailed two carriages at the back of the IRYO train and the front of the RENFE train.
Spain’s Transport Minister Oscar Puente said the collision was triggered by an “inexplicable” order issued by a central command centre for Spain’s trains following a failure of the security system. He said the train engineers were not at fault.
Puente said the train should not have been given the go-ahead to start moving again because there was still an active “stop signal” on that track. He said, at a minimum, the train should have been directed to proceed at a reduced speed.
The Oct. 28 crash marks the second major deadly event this year involving the same railway companies on that particular line.
A derailment and collision on the Madrid-Seville high-speed line killed 46 people and injured nearly 300 in January. The crash has since been linked to rail breakage and maintenance oversights.
The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
