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Spain's king and queen attend memorial service for rail crash victims
BBC • • world
Key Points:
- King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain attended a memorial service honoring the 69 victims of a deadly train crash near Urda on the Madrid-Seville line, the worst rail tragedy in Spain since 2013.
- The crash involved a high-speed train colliding with a stationary train, leaving 28 people hospitalized and prompting an ongoing investigation into potential human error and safety system failures.
- Senior politicians, including opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo and regional president Emiliano García-Page, also attended the service, which coincided with a nationwide strike by train drivers demanding improved rail safety.
- The accident has intensified political pressure on the Socialist government ahead of the 29 November general election, following the resignation of Transport Minister Óscar Puente amid criticism over rail safety.
- The memorial included emotional tributes such as candle placements by victims' families, with King Felipe and Queen Letizia receiving applause and offering condolences to relatives after the Catholic Mass.
