Pinoys safe amid twin Spain train tragedies
Barcelona’s Tuesday crash killed a 27-year-old trainee driver and injured 37 people, five of whom are reportedly in a critical condition.
No Filipinos were hurt in the deadly back-to-back train crashes in Spain, which killed more than 40 people and injured nearly 200, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed Thursday.
The DFA said the Philippine Embassy in Madrid announced that no Filipinos were identified among those injured or killed in the collision of two high-speed trains in Adamuz in Cordoba province, on Sunday. However, they are still closely coordinating with the Spanish authorities and train operators for updates.
The Philippine Consulate General in Barcelona, meanwhile, said that as of press time, there was no information indicating that Filipino nationals were affected by a separate train crash.
“The Embassy and the Consulate General stand ready to assist any Filipino nationals who may have been affected by these incidents,” the DFA assured.
Barcelona’s Tuesday crash killed a 27-year-old trainee driver and injured 37 people, five of whom are reportedly in a critical condition.
Downpour collapses the wall
A collapsed retaining wall that fell onto the tracks between Gelida and Sant Sadurní caused the deadly crash in Catalonia in northeastern Spain.
Local officials attributed the collapse to heavy rainfall that battered this week, following months of drought.
The incident came two days after the first collision in Adamuz, Andalucía, around 7:45 p.m. on Sunday.
Reports stated that one of the trains bound for Madrid derailed and crossed over to the opposite tracks, where a high-speed train was approaching.
The Sunday’s crash was described as the worst rail incident recorded in more than a decade.
