A fatal train accident near Barcelona has killed a driver and left at least 37 passengers injured, including five with serious injuries, as storms continue to batter northeastern Spain. The crash happened just days after a deadly rail collision in southern Spain, raising fresh alarm over rail safety.
Authorities said the Rodalies train derailed on Tuesday evening when it struck a retaining wall that had collapsed onto the tracks between Gelida and Sant Sadurní. The impact caused extensive damage to the train, claiming the life of the driver and injuring numerous passengers on board.
Catalonia regional fire Inspector Claudi Gallardo reported that all passengers were safely removed from the train. Emergency teams faced challenging conditions due to severe weather warnings issued for eastern and north-western coastal areas.
Rescue services dispatched 11 ambulances to Gelida, around 35 kilometres west of Barcelona, while 35 fire crews were on site. One passenger trapped inside the train was rescued, and a full area sweep confirmed no additional people were inside the wreckage.
The injured were transported to Moisès Broggi, Bellvitge, and Vila Franca hospitals. Emergency medical services said five passengers were seriously injured, six suffered moderate injuries, and 26 were lightly hurt.
Earlier the same day, another train on the Barcelona commuter network derailed. Spain’s rail operator Adif said, "The axle was struck by a rock dislodged by the storm." This train, running between Blanes and Maçanet-Massanes, had no injuries reported, though services were temporarily suspended.
The Barcelona incidents come just two days after a major collision in Adamuz, Andalusia, where two high-speed trains crashed. Carriages from a Madrid-bound train derailed, crossed over to oncoming tracks, and collided with a high-speed train, killing at least 42 people in one of Spain’s deadliest rail accidents in over ten years.
