After the disaster in which 69 people were killed: Spain's transport minister announces he will resign
Spain's Transport Minister, Óscar Puente, announced last night that he will resign from his post following two deadly train accidents that claimed 115 victims in less than a year. The announcement comes six days after the Toledo disaster (69 dead) and heavy public pressure, after Puente had previously rejected demands to resign.
Spain's Transport Minister, Óscar Puente, announced last night (Tuesday) that he will resign from his post following two deadly train accidents that claimed the lives of 115 people in less than a year. The announcement comes six days after the disaster in the Toledo area, in which 69 people were killed, and after days of heavy public and political pressure. In a speech before members of parliament in Madrid, Puente said: "A transport minister in a country like Spain cannot continue in his position after two accidents of this magnitude in less than a year." The latest accident occurred on October 28, when a Renfe high-speed train collided with an Irion train standing on the tracks in the Toledo area, at a speed of 160 to 200 km/h, due to a signaling system failure. In January of this year, 46 people were killed in another train accident on the same line. The Spanish government announced a support plan for the families of the victims and measures to improve railway safety.