A train accident near Barcelona on Tuesday left at least one person dead and 37 injured, according to Spanish media.
The train driver was killed in the incident. Of the 37 injured, five are in serious condition, six sustained moderate injuries, and 26 suffered minor wounds, according to emergency services cited by broadcaster RTVE.
The accident occurred around 9 pm in the town of Gelida, roughly 25 kilometres west of Barcelona. A retaining wall collapsed onto the tracks as a train on the R4 line was passing by. The train had departed from Sant Vicenç de Calders in Tarragona and was heading towards Manresa in Barcelona.
The wall fell onto the train’s first carriage, which bore the brunt of the impact and was significantly damaged. Most of the injured passengers were in this carriage, stated Claudi Gallardo, chief of the fire service.
Officials believe the collapse was caused by heavy rainfall in the region. Railway infrastructure technicians are inspecting the network to ensure no other routes have been compromised due to the severe weather. Adif, the rail infrastructure manager, has suspended Rodalies train services in Catalonia on Wednesday because of the deadly accident.
On Tuesday evening, a second rail incident occurred in Catalonia. A train derailed on the R1 Rodalies line between Maçanet Massanes and Tordera in Barcelona after hitting a rock dislodged by the storm. There were ten passengers on board, but no injuries were reported, according to Adif.
This follows another fatal train crash in southern Spain on Sunday. In that accident near Adamuz, 42 people lost their lives when two trains collided head-on.
