Tragedy on the Tracks: Barcelona Rail Misfortune

A commuter train derailed near Barcelona after a wall collapsed on the track due to heavy rain, killing the driver and injuring four passengers. This incident followed a deadly train derailment in Córdoba. Emergency services responded swiftly, highlighting chronic rail service issues in the region.

A commuter train derailed on Tuesday when a containment wall collapsed onto the tracks near Barcelona, attributed to heavy rainfall, resulting in the death of the driver and serious injuries to four passengers, according to a fire brigade official.

This tragedy came just two days after a fatal high-speed train accident near Adamuz in Córdoba province, claiming 42 lives. Claudi Gallardo, inspector at the Catalonia regional fire department, reported that 37 people were injured, of whom four were seriously hurt, and confirmed the driver's death. Emergency responders efficiently evacuated all passengers from the derailed train.

Authorities deployed 20 ambulances and 38 firefighter units to the incident site in Gelida, on the outskirts of Barcelona. The area, notorious for its underfunded rail services, has seen frequent rail incidents. In a separate delay on Tuesday night, rail traffic between Blanes and Maçanet-Massanes was disrupted when a train axle derailed, the Spanish rail operator Adif stated.

(With inputs from agencies.)