12 people killed and 13 injured by high speed train in Castelldefels beach station in Catalonia

Last night 12 people were killed and 13 injured when they tried to cross railway lines in Castelldefels beach station. According to official sources nearly all of those killed and injured are aged between 16 and 26 years old. The accident happened at 23.25 hours yesterday evening when dozens of people tried to cross railway lines in Castelldefels beach station on their way to celebrate the night of ‘San Juan’ – a traditional Spanish fiesta where bonfires are lit on some beaches to celebrate the summer solstice.

According to official sources the accident occurred when people got off a local train which had stopped in Castelldefels beach station and then crossed railway lines instead of going through the underground passage at the same time that a train travelling from Alicante to Barcelona went through the station at a high speed.
Those injured in the accident have been taken to various hospitals and clinics in the nearby area: Moisés Broggi, Sant Boi, the Barcelona clinic, Bellvitge and the red cross centre in L’Hospitalet.

As a consequence of the accident all train journeys on the R-2 Rodalies de Catalunya have been cancelled in both directions. Most routes affected have been replaced by a bus services.

As soon as news of the accident was known the head of civil protection in Catalonia put into action an emergency plan 1 – 15 fire engines were sent to the place of the accident together with numerous police units and at least 24 ambulances and members of the red cross including a group of psychologists.

The president of the regional government of Catalonia will visit the place of the accident this morning. The Renfe chairmen has confirmed that the recently renovated station had passed all safety checks and that the accident could have been prevented had the victims chosen the underground route rather than crossing the railtracks.