Spain’s Transport Minister Óscar Puente announced his resignation on Tuesday, six days after a high-speed train collision killed at least 69 people. (Foto: Instagram)
Spain’s transport minister, Óscar Puente, resigned Tuesday, Nov. 3, six days after a high-speed train collision that killed at least 69 people. He announced his decision during a session of Congress, saying a transport minister in Spain could not remain in office after two accidents of such severity in less than a year.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez thanked Puente for his work and praised his decision to step down. Sánchez said Puente had faced the situation and offered solutions before making room for someone else, adding that he resigned out of dignity, of his own accord, and out of respect for the victims and the country’s progressive project.
The collision occurred on the high-speed line linking Madrid and Andalusia. Emergency services said two cars of an Iryo train derailed and fell down an embankment after being struck by a Renfe train. The crash killed 69 people and injured several others.
Early information indicated that a signaling-system failure may have preceded the collision. Rail safety systems are designed to help manage train movements and prevent trains from proceeding when there are obstacles or unsafe conditions on the tracks. The judicial district based in Orgaz, in Toledo province, will investigate the disaster.
Spain experienced another deadly rail accident in January, when 46 people were killed in a crash in Córdoba. Puente referred to two accidents of comparable severity in less than a year when explaining his resignation.
