By Salma El-Sakka
Two Australians and a Japanese citizen are among the 69 people killed in last week’s high-speed train collision in Spain, a legal identification body announced late Monday. The disaster, one of Europe’s deadliest rail accidents this century, occurred when a Renfe service ploughed into a stationary Iryo train near the village of Urda, about 130 km south of Madrid.
Identification and Consular Assistance
The identification body, composed of police and forensics experts, confirmed the three latest victims but did not release their names. Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said Wednesday it was providing consular assistance to the families of the two Australians. Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong sent her “deepest condolences on behalf of Australia” to her Spanish counterpart, José Manuel Albares, and to the people of Spain.
Victim Nationalities
Of the 69 dead, 54 were Spanish nationals and 15 were foreigners. The foreign victims include four U.S. citizens, two Australians, two Japanese citizens, and one each from Argentina, Canada, France, Mexico, Portugal, Tunisia and the Czech Republic.
Crash Details and Safety Concerns
The collision happened after the failure of an automatic safety system halted trains on a 63 km stretch of track. A control centre authorised the Renfe service to resume its journey while the Iryo train remained stationary. The accident is Spain’s second high-speed train collision this year; a crash in Andalusia in January killed 46 people, raising fresh questions about rail safety.
Political Reaction
Australian Labor MP Jason Clare described the tragedy as “something people never, ever recover from,” telling ABC TV that the whole country was in shock after seeing images of the wreckage.
