Spanish government to pay 20 million euros in compensation for train accident

As recovery efforts continue following the high-speed train accident that occurred on January 19 in the Adamuz region of Cordoba province in Spain, the Spanish government has issued a statement regarding the compensation payments to be made to the victims.

Spanish Minister of Transport Oscar Puente announced that a total of 20 million euros in compensation will be paid for the incident, in which 45 people lost their lives and more than 150 were injured. According to the statement, 216,000 euros in compensation will be paid to the families of those who lost their lives in the train accident within 3 months at the latest. Of this compensation amount, 72,000 euros will consist of tax-exempt government aid, while another 72,000 euros will be provided as advance insurance payments. Additionally, a further payment of 72,000 euros will be made from the passengers' mandatory travel insurance. Compensation payments to the injured will range from 2,400 euros to 84,000 euros.

Emphasizing that the victims and their relatives cannot wait a lifetime for compensation payments, Puente stated, "We know that normal procedures and legal deadlines cannot always keep up with the vital urgency of such tragedies." Minister Puente also made assessments regarding the future, saying that his conscience is clear and that he has done his job to the best of his ability. The Minister said he has made every effort to convey all available information to the citizens.

High-speed train accident

On January 19, a high-speed train traveling from Malaga to the capital, Madrid, derailed and collided with another train heading toward Huelva that had been forced to make a sudden maneuver due to the accident. 45 people lost their lives in the crash. Railway officials had announced that there were 400 passengers and staff on the two trains. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez received information from officials during his visit to the scene and declared 3 days of national mourning for those who lost their lives in the train accident.

Two more train accidents occurred

Furthermore, on January 21, a train traveling on the R4 commuter line near the town of Gelida in the Barcelona region derailed after a retaining wall along the tracks collapsed suddenly due to heavy rainfall. While the train driver lost his life at the scene, at least 37 people were injured. On the same day, it was announced that another train traveling between the Blanes and Macanet-Massanes stations in the Girona region had also derailed. Following these accidents, the People's Party (PP), the country's main opposition party, called for Puente's resignation.

News Source: İHA