A commuter train collided with a construction crane in Cartagena, southeastern Spain today, injuring several people, including one who suffered serious injuries. This incident further increased the concern about the safety of the railway traffic, after two serious accidents with fatal outcome that occurred this week.
The collision in Cartagena came just days after a high-speed train crash in Andalusia killed at least 43 people and another train accident earlier this week in Catalonia, in which the driver lost his life.
In a post on the Internet, the Spanish railway infrastructure manager Adif said that the traffic on the affected line was suspended because the crane, which does not belong to the railway traffic, fell on the infrastructure profile of the track.
The company did not provide additional details. It is still not clear how the crane ended up on the track or whether safety procedures were violated. The investigation into the accident is ongoing, while train services continue to be disrupted.
A spokeswoman for national rail operator Renfe said there were “several minor injuries”.
– It is a suburban train, and the crane does not belong to us – said the spokeswoman for the AFP agency, stating that it was the crane that hit the train.
Spanish train drivers have already announced a three-day strike after two fatal train accidents in a short space of time raised questions about the safety of the rail network.
The SEMAF union announced that the fatal accidents in Adamuz and Gelida, in which a total of 44 people died, were a turning point that justified the strike scheduled for February 9, 10 and 11.
The strike call followed a second accident on Tuesday in Catalonia, just two days after the tragedy in Adamuz, reports DW.
Photo: archive
