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| Spanish train crash: saint's day festivities replaced by grief in Santiago | Spanish train crash: saint's day festivities replaced by grief in Santiago |
| (2 months later) | |
| The bridge should be a point where, on the holy day of St James, pilgrims cross the railway line and enter the north-western Spanish city that houses his shrine, Santiago de Compostela. But on Thursday it was still the macabre site of Europe's worst rail accident for more than a decade. | The bridge should be a point where, on the holy day of St James, pilgrims cross the railway line and enter the north-western Spanish city that houses his shrine, Santiago de Compostela. But on Thursday it was still the macabre site of Europe's worst rail accident for more than a decade. |
| Wagons proudly bearing the name of Spain's high-speed Alvia line lay tangled together, shunted on top of one another by the weight of the rear engine which had ploughed on after the front carriages sped off the lines on a sharp curve on the city's outskirts. One carriage had jumped on to a parallel road, travelling uphill under its own momentum and ending up at a spot overlooking the rest of the tragic scene. | Wagons proudly bearing the name of Spain's high-speed Alvia line lay tangled together, shunted on top of one another by the weight of the rear engine which had ploughed on after the front carriages sped off the lines on a sharp curve on the city's outskirts. One carriage had jumped on to a parallel road, travelling uphill under its own momentum and ending up at a spot overlooking the rest of the tragic scene. |
| On Thursday night, of the 218 passengers, 80 were dead and 95 were in hospital, 36 of them in a critical condition. | On Thursday night, of the 218 passengers, 80 were dead and 95 were in hospital, 36 of them in a critical condition. |
| The driver of the Madrid to Ferrol train was under investigation. According to the El País newspaper, he said over the radio while still trapped in his cab: "I was doing 190. I hope no one's been killed because they'll be on my conscience." | The driver of the Madrid to Ferrol train was under investigation. According to the El País newspaper, he said over the radio while still trapped in his cab: "I was doing 190. I hope no one's been killed because they'll be on my conscience." |
| Francisco Otero, who lives near the crash scene, was one of dozens of people who first rushed to the rescue. "When I got here I thought it was a helicopter that had crash landed," he said. "I couldn't believe that a railway wagon could have got up there." | Francisco Otero, who lives near the crash scene, was one of dozens of people who first rushed to the rescue. "When I got here I thought it was a helicopter that had crash landed," he said. "I couldn't believe that a railway wagon could have got up there." |
| Otero hurried down from his parents' smallholding in the neighbourhood of Angrois, where Santiago runs into the green countryside of Galicia, and saw a body already lying out on the tracks. He said the shockwaves from the crash felt like a small earth tremor. | Otero hurried down from his parents' smallholding in the neighbourhood of Angrois, where Santiago runs into the green countryside of Galicia, and saw a body already lying out on the tracks. He said the shockwaves from the crash felt like a small earth tremor. |
| But Xan Freire, another neighbour from this tranquil barrio of smallholdings boasting lines of maize, beet and vines, said he heard a loud screeching noise of metal against metal before a cloud of smoke and dust began to emerge from the railway cutting. | But Xan Freire, another neighbour from this tranquil barrio of smallholdings boasting lines of maize, beet and vines, said he heard a loud screeching noise of metal against metal before a cloud of smoke and dust began to emerge from the railway cutting. |
| "We ran out there and already I could see that there were bodies on the tracks," he said. "I remember seeing a young man lying down with his arm under his forehead. It looked like he was sleeping, but he was already dead." | "We ran out there and already I could see that there were bodies on the tracks," he said. "I remember seeing a young man lying down with his arm under his forehead. It looked like he was sleeping, but he was already dead." |
| Locals scaled down the cutting with a rope and brought down wooden boards to carry the wounded away. | Locals scaled down the cutting with a rope and brought down wooden boards to carry the wounded away. |
| Frightened passengers beat desperately against the glass of doors and reinforced windows of the twisted carriages. Firemen found that even their heavy hammers were unable to shatter the glass. "It took us forever to get one of the doors open," recalled Freire. | Frightened passengers beat desperately against the glass of doors and reinforced windows of the twisted carriages. Firemen found that even their heavy hammers were unable to shatter the glass. "It took us forever to get one of the doors open," recalled Freire. |
| He helped several blood-covered girls down the tracks to an emergency hospital that was soon set up on a flat spot beside the tracks. "One man had broken both legs. They were pointing outwards like a frog's," he said. | He helped several blood-covered girls down the tracks to an emergency hospital that was soon set up on a flat spot beside the tracks. "One man had broken both legs. They were pointing outwards like a frog's," he said. |
| "And I remember an elderly couple who were both wounded, desperately calling out for each other. In fact, they were on opposite sides of the hospital tent." | "And I remember an elderly couple who were both wounded, desperately calling out for each other. In fact, they were on opposite sides of the hospital tent." |
| They were among the lucky ones. As neighbours and emergency crews fought to release people from the wreckage, the dead were laid out on the tracks. "I remember that the next time I looked there were some 23 people," said Otero. "Then when I went home at one o'clock in the morning I counted more than 50." | They were among the lucky ones. As neighbours and emergency crews fought to release people from the wreckage, the dead were laid out on the tracks. "I remember that the next time I looked there were some 23 people," said Otero. "Then when I went home at one o'clock in the morning I counted more than 50." |
| One of the first women to be helped from the wreckage greeted her rescuer by name. "She is one of my mother's relatives," explained Otero. "But the man who rescued her did not recognise her because she was so covered in blood. The first thing she said was that the train had been going very fast." | One of the first women to be helped from the wreckage greeted her rescuer by name. "She is one of my mother's relatives," explained Otero. "But the man who rescued her did not recognise her because she was so covered in blood. The first thing she said was that the train had been going very fast." |
| CCTV footage showed how the front engine of the train hit the concrete wall of an embankment with the carriages behind it immediately coming off the rails. | CCTV footage showed how the front engine of the train hit the concrete wall of an embankment with the carriages behind it immediately coming off the rails. |
| "The trains here always slow down," explained Freire. "There are lots of curves here and the station is very close. Often they almost stop here." | "The trains here always slow down," explained Freire. "There are lots of curves here and the station is very close. Often they almost stop here." |
| The line had opened 18 months before. "We were all very proud. It cut the journey to Ourense from two hours to 38 minutes and made it much faster to get to Madrid," explained Manuel Martinez. After the accident he went straight to a hospital to give blood. "But I was turned away, there were already 400 people." | The line had opened 18 months before. "We were all very proud. It cut the journey to Ourense from two hours to 38 minutes and made it much faster to get to Madrid," explained Manuel Martinez. After the accident he went straight to a hospital to give blood. "But I was turned away, there were already 400 people." |
| A short way further down the line, family and friends had been waiting to greet the passengers who were due to get off in Santiago at just before 9pm on Wednesday evening. Miriam Cea, a 17-year-old from Santiago, had been waiting for her two cousins and uncle, who had been due to attend a family baptism. "They were only a few minutes away. It was awful when they told us that the train had crashed." | A short way further down the line, family and friends had been waiting to greet the passengers who were due to get off in Santiago at just before 9pm on Wednesday evening. Miriam Cea, a 17-year-old from Santiago, had been waiting for her two cousins and uncle, who had been due to attend a family baptism. "They were only a few minutes away. It was awful when they told us that the train had crashed." |
| She and her family joined the throng of worried people who gathered at the city's Cersia hospital, where authorities were slowly giving out information about the dead and injured. By late on Thursday afternoon, however, all she knew was that one of her cousins was in hospital suffering from serious burns. The family was still waiting to hear about the other cousin and her uncle. | She and her family joined the throng of worried people who gathered at the city's Cersia hospital, where authorities were slowly giving out information about the dead and injured. By late on Thursday afternoon, however, all she knew was that one of her cousins was in hospital suffering from serious burns. The family was still waiting to hear about the other cousin and her uncle. |
| Cea said she still hoped her relatives were alive, but at the city's Hospital Clinico a spokeswoman confirmed that all those still alive had been identified. Almost all their relatives had been traced and informed about where they were. | Cea said she still hoped her relatives were alive, but at the city's Hospital Clinico a spokeswoman confirmed that all those still alive had been identified. Almost all their relatives had been traced and informed about where they were. |
| But groups of stricken families and friends still sat forlornly around on the grass outside the Cersia hospital, crying and praying for good news. "Our best friend was coming to visit us with his girlfriend from Madrid," explained one of a group of three young men. "They haven't told us anything about either of them." | But groups of stricken families and friends still sat forlornly around on the grass outside the Cersia hospital, crying and praying for good news. "Our best friend was coming to visit us with his girlfriend from Madrid," explained one of a group of three young men. "They haven't told us anything about either of them." |
| Those travelling on the train would have expected to be in Santiago in time to watch the festival of fire and music outside the city's historic cathedral which usually starts at midnight on 24 July and marks the beginning of St James' Day. | Those travelling on the train would have expected to be in Santiago in time to watch the festival of fire and music outside the city's historic cathedral which usually starts at midnight on 24 July and marks the beginning of St James' Day. |
| But the city cancelled its celebrations and flags were at half-mast and pictures of black ribbons were stuck to shop windows. Only the newly arrived – and bewildered – pilgrims gave any sense of joy or normality. Even the news anchors on the local television stations were dressed in black as Spain went into formal mourning for the dead. | But the city cancelled its celebrations and flags were at half-mast and pictures of black ribbons were stuck to shop windows. Only the newly arrived – and bewildered – pilgrims gave any sense of joy or normality. Even the news anchors on the local television stations were dressed in black as Spain went into formal mourning for the dead. |
| "This is the worst day of St James that I have ever experienced," said the prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, who hails from this city, which is also the ancient capital of the Galicia region. | "This is the worst day of St James that I have ever experienced," said the prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, who hails from this city, which is also the ancient capital of the Galicia region. |
| As he spoke, two huge cranes were beginning to lift the smashed-up carriages off the tracks. | As he spoke, two huge cranes were beginning to lift the smashed-up carriages off the tracks. |
| One had its roof ripped open. Another had lost most of its side panel, with only two seats remaining inside – both of them covered in dust and stains. | One had its roof ripped open. Another had lost most of its side panel, with only two seats remaining inside – both of them covered in dust and stains. |
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