Foreign nationals among 69 dead in Spanish high-speed train collision

MADRID, Nov 2 (OPA) — Spanish forensic experts confirmed late Sunday that the death toll from last Wednesday’s high-speed rail disaster includes four U.S. citizens, one Canadian, one Japanese national, one Argentine, one Mexican, one Tunisian, and one Czech national. The collision, which occurred outside the village of Urda, 130 kilometers south of Madrid, ranks as one of Europe’s deadliest rail accidents this century.

The identification process remains ongoing, with officials confirming that 54 Spanish victims, along with one French and one Portuguese citizen, were previously identified. A specialized legal body composed of police and forensic experts stated that all but three victims have been identified. Authorities are currently tracking three active missing persons reports involving two Australians and one Japanese citizen.

Preliminary investigations indicate the disaster occurred when a state-operated Renfe train struck a stationary Iryo service. Reports suggest the collision followed a failure of an automatic safety system that halted traffic on a 63-kilometer stretch of track. Despite the system failure, a control center authorized the Renfe service to resume movement while the Iryo train remained on the tracks.

This incident marks the second high-speed rail collision in Spain this year, following a January crash in Andalusia that claimed 46 lives. The tragedy arrives just one month before the November 29 general election, placing significant political pressure on Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez as he seeks to maintain his eight-year premiership amid unfavorable polling data.