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Spain train crash driver 'admits being careless' | |
(about 4 hours later) | |
The driver of the Spanish train that derailed last week killing 79 people says he was "careless" when he drove at speed around a bend, reports say. | |
Francisco Jose Garzon Amo was released from custody on Sunday. He faces multiple counts of reckless homicide. | |
A large funeral Mass is due to take place in city of Santiago de Compostela, where the train crashed. | |
Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who comes from the city, and members of the royal family are expected to attend. | |
Correspondents say the tragedy has shocked residents of Santiago de Compostela, a Catholic pilgrimage site in the north-western province of Galicia. | Correspondents say the tragedy has shocked residents of Santiago de Compostela, a Catholic pilgrimage site in the north-western province of Galicia. |
Santiago officials had been preparing for the religious feast of St James of Compostela - Spain's patron saint - but cancelled it after the crash on Wednesday. | |
The city's sports arena was temporarily turned into a morgue. | The city's sports arena was temporarily turned into a morgue. |
At the cathedral gates, pilgrims have left flowers and candles to commemorate victims of the crash. | At the cathedral gates, pilgrims have left flowers and candles to commemorate victims of the crash. |
Officials say 70 people remain in hospital, 22 of them in a critical condition. | Officials say 70 people remain in hospital, 22 of them in a critical condition. |
Passport surrendered | Passport surrendered |
Mr Garzon, 52, arrived at court in handcuffs on Sunday, his head scarred by an injury he suffered in the crash. | Mr Garzon, 52, arrived at court in handcuffs on Sunday, his head scarred by an injury he suffered in the crash. |
He was questioned behind closed doors for almost two hours by Judge Luis Alaez. | He was questioned behind closed doors for almost two hours by Judge Luis Alaez. |
Later, a court statement said he had been released pending further investigations but must appear before a court once a week and is not allowed to leave Spain without permission. | Later, a court statement said he had been released pending further investigations but must appear before a court once a week and is not allowed to leave Spain without permission. |
His passport has been surrendered to the judge and his licence to drive a train has been suspended. | His passport has been surrendered to the judge and his licence to drive a train has been suspended. |
Under Spanish law, his legal status is that he is suspected of being involved in 79 counts of reckless homicide but has not been formally charged. | Under Spanish law, his legal status is that he is suspected of being involved in 79 counts of reckless homicide but has not been formally charged. |
But officials said he had admitted negligence by being careless when rounding a bend too fast. | |
Reports have suggested the train was going at 190km/h (118mph) as he took the bend, where the speed limit is just 80km/h. | |
All eight carriages of the train careered off the tracks into a concrete wall as they sped around the curve on the express route between Madrid and the port city of Ferrol on the Galician coast. | All eight carriages of the train careered off the tracks into a concrete wall as they sped around the curve on the express route between Madrid and the port city of Ferrol on the Galician coast. |
The crash was one of the worst rail disasters in Spanish history. | The crash was one of the worst rail disasters in Spanish history. |