A series of large-scale railway incidents in Spain continued with an accident in the Murcia region, where a passenger train rammed a crane boom. The country's Ministry of Transport confirmed the incident, which occurred against the backdrop of growing dissatisfaction among railway workers due to the critical state of safety on the tracks. This is reported by Reuters, writes UNN.
Details
The accident occurred near the port city of Cartagena, when the boom of a crane used for street lighting maintenance unexpectedly extended onto the railway territory. The moving part of the mechanism shattered the windows of a passing suburban train. As a result of the collision, six passengers sustained minor injuries, but the train remained on the tracks, which helped avoid a greater number of casualties.
Black week for Spanish railways
This incident was the fourth serious incident in the last seven days. The deadliest was the disaster in Andalusia, where a high-speed train collision resulted in the death of at least 43 people.
New train disaster in Spain: one dead, at least 14 injured21.01.26, 03:20
In addition, on Tuesday near Barcelona, a wall collapsed onto the tracks due to heavy rains, causing a train to derail and the death of the driver. Another accident on the same day was recorded in the northeastern part of Catalonia.
Reaction of authorities and trade unions
Minister of Transport Oscar Puente confirmed that the cause of the latest accident was the intrusion of construction equipment into the train movement zone. At the same time, the main trade union of train drivers has already announced preparations for a nationwide strike. Railway workers demand an immediate review of safety standards and increased control over infrastructure facilities to stop the wave of deadly accidents.
Spanish train drivers announce nationwide strike over series of fatal accidents22.01.26, 03:00