Canadian among the dead in Spanish high-speed rail crash
A Canadian was among those killed last week in a high-speed train collision in Toledo, Spanish officials have said, issuing a list of countries whose citizens died in the Oct. 28 tragedy.
Citizens from several countries died in crash, along with 54 Spaniards
CBC News
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A Canadian was among those killed last week in a high-speed train collision in Toledo, Spanish officials have said.
The Tribunal Superior de Justicia de Castilla La Mancha issued a statement Sunday, providing more information about the 69 people who died, after the victims were identified by the country's Center for Integrated Data.
Global Affairs Canada (GAC) told CBC News last week that it was aware of six Canadians who were injured in the crash and one person who was unaccounted for. The department, citing privacy considerations, provided no further information. The department did not immediately respond to an updated request for information.
Also among the dead were 54 people from Spain, along with citizens from France, the United States, Japan, Argentina, Mexico, Tunisia, Portugal and the Czech Republic, Spanish officials have said.
The crash, affecting 526 passengers and 12 crew members overall on the two trains, happened near the town of Urda in central Spain on Oct. 28.
It was the second major fatal accident this year involving the same rail companies on the same line after a January crash killed 46, reopening a debate about safety and maintenance on Spain's high-speed rail network, the most extensive in Europe.
WATCH | Breaking down the known failures of Spain's high-speed crash:
Did human error cause Spain's deadly high-speed train crash? | About That
October 30|
Duration
9:03
A high-speed train travelling at more than 150 km/h collided with a stopped train in central Spain, killing at least 69 people and injuring dozens more. Andrew Chang breaks down dispatcher audio and information about the railway's signalling system to explain how a technical glitch may have led to the fatal crash. (Photo credits: The Canadian Press, Reuters, Adobe Stock and Getty Images)The collision occurred after several trains were automatically stopped due to the failure of the automatic-signalling system, after which the central control centre in Madrid took over. A train operated by state-owned Renfe was authorized to proceed, even though there was a stationary Iryo-operated train ahead, according to Transport Minister Óscar Puente.
Puente has thus far resisted calls from opposition parties to resign.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited the crash site late last week and has pledged an investigation into the latest collision and improvements to prevent another tragedy.
The crash occurs as Sánchez and his Socialists are campaigning to stay in power, ahead of a Nov. 29 election.
The Spanish government was already facing discontent over housing costs and high rents, along with corruption allegations and criticism from right-wing parties of its liberal migration policies compared to other European countries.
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