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MapÓscar Puente Resigns As Spain Transport Minister After Urda Train Crash Kills 69
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Puente resigned as Spain's Transport Minister after Urda crash that killed 69. Announcement made before the Permanent Deputation; he will not stand in elections.
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Puente Resigns After Crash
Óscar Puente resigned as Spain’s transport minister six days after a high-speed train collision near the town of Urda, south of the capital Madrid, killed at least 69 people and left dozens injured. Puente told Congress that "A transport minister in a country like Spain cannot remain in office after two accidents of this seriousness in less than a year," and he also said he was withdrawing his name from the lists for the early legislative elections. Puente linked his decision to the Urda crash and to January’s crash on the same line that left 46 people dead, and he described his resignation as a matter of political dignity, coherence, and empathy with the victims.
Pedro Sánchez praised Puente for having "faced up to the situation, provided answers and solutions, and then stepped aside," as the resignation landed during a run-up to early general elections on 29 November. The Lateral Signalling Block used when automatic signalling or data transmission failed was part of the BBC’s description of the Urda crash, which involved a train smashed into the back of a stationary train.
Audio, Safety System, Politics
Recordings of conversations between Madrid's control centre and two train drivers appeared to show the Renfe train was given clearance to move even though the other train had stopped on the track, about 25km (15 miles) ahead. A control centre operator told the Renfe driver: "Continue your journey and then proceed under [Lateral Signalling Block], at normal speed with normal operation," and the driver replied: "At normal speed?" Óscar Puente told a press conference that "For the moment, the indications point to a fault in Adif’s command and control center," and he said the facts were being "analyzed to clarify exactly what happened, how it could have occurred, and whether there were deficiencies in the control procedures."
The BBC said the main opposition, the conservative People's Party (PP) and the far-right Vox, were calling for Puente's resignation, and it said some of the government's allies also joined the demand. Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez admitted the credibility of the high-speed rail system was "broken," while opposition figures criticised Puente for appearing to blame human error for the crash.
Victims, Aid, and What Next
Spanish authorities said they identified all 69 people killed in last week’s high-speed train collision after confirming the identities of three more victims, with a legal body made up of police and forensics experts announcing the latest confirmations late on Monday. The victims included 54 Spanish nationals and 15 foreigners, listing four US citizens, two Australians, two Japanese, and one each from Argentina, Canada, France, Mexico, Portugal, Tunisia and the Czech Republic. Spain will work "tirelessly" to restore public confidence in high-speed train travel, and Puente said, "We pledge to work tirelessly to achieve and regain the public's trust in high-speed rail," as he presented new measures to improve safety.
Puente announced an aid package of €30 million for the families of the dead and the scores who were injured, and the disaster struck outside the central village of Urda around 130 kilometres south of the capital Madrid. Puente announced his decision at the end of a lengthy congressional session on Tuesday evening in which he had outlined new rail safety measures and had been grilled by the opposition, as the resignation came one month before the 29 November general election.