Spanish transport minister refuses to resign after train crash

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 30 Oct, 14:40 · Archive

Spain's transport minister has rejected calls to resign following a train crash near Urda that killed at least 69 people.

Spain's transport minister Oscar Puente has rejected calls for his resignation over a train crash near Urda in central Spain that killed at least 69 people on Wednesday. The crash involved one train smashing into a stationary train at a speed between 160 and 200 km/h.

Rail workers' unions and MPs from across the political spectrum have condemned Puente, calling for his immediate dismissal. Critics argue he should accept responsibility for the accident rather than attributing it to a break in protocol by control centre operators. This is the second train accident on his watch to cause mass casualties this year; another crash on the same line in January killed 46 people.

'My duty now is not to focus on discussing whether I will remain in office but on solving the problem, determining exactly what happened and providing clear explanations,' Puente said at a press conference on Friday. The Independent Authority for the Technical Investigation of Accidents and Incidents said in a preliminary report that 'the sequence of malfunctions, instructions and actions eventually led to the collision, in the absence of the necessary mitigating barriers'. The crash has reopened debate about safety and maintenance on Spain's high-speed rail network, the most extensive in Europe, as the country prepares for an election scheduled for 29 November.

How it is being reported

• Spanish minister refuses to resign over train crashRail workers' unions are calling for Spain's transport minister to be dismissed following a train accident that left at least 69 people dead.Perth Now · 30 Oct, 13:55
• Spanish minister refuses to resign over train crashRail workers' unions are calling for Spain's transport minister to be dismissed following a train accident that left at least 69 people dead.The West Australian · 30 Oct, 13:55

In this story: Oscar Puente · Pedro Sanchez · Spain · Urda

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