A train derailment in Spain has lead to the deaths of 78 people and left over 140 injured. It is being reported that the train had been two times over the speed limit as it came near a curve. Security footage showed the train coming in too fast and starting to come off the tracks even before it makes the curve.
The BBC reports that the accident took place in north-west Spain, near Santiago de Compostela. The train was traveling from Madrid to Ferrol. Officials confirm that the incident is being investigated and some are calling it among the worst train crashes in Spain’s history.
“Today is a very difficult day. Today we have lived through a terrible, dramatic accident, which I fear will stay with us for a long time,” Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said. “For someone from Santiago, like myself, believe me, this is the saddest Day of Saint James of my life.”
Expatica.com reports that Rajoy has declared three days of national moruning.
According to CNN, a Galicia regional supreme court spokeswoman confirmed that 73 people died at the scene. The others died at the hospital. The government has confirmed 178 injuries, with 95 people still hospitalized.
A U.S. State Department official told CNN that there were at least five Americans hurt, but “At this time, we have not received any reports of U.S. citizen deaths.”
It’s not clear how fast the train was going, but the train could reach a speed of 250 kilometers per hour (155 mph), a state train spokesman said.
Rajoy said that two investigations will begin, one from the Ministry of Public Works on rail accidents and a judicial investigation.
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