Spanish transport minister resigns after two deadly train crashes

Spain’s Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, has resigned following two fatal train crashes in less than a year. The most recent incident, which occurred last week, resulted in 69 deaths and over 200 injuries.

Puente stated he made his decision to resign shortly after the latest crash. He emphasized that a transport minister in Spain cannot remain in office after two such severe accidents, regardless of direct responsibility.

The recent crash occurred when a high-speed train collided with a stationary train after a safety system failure halted all rail traffic along the Madrid-Andalusia line. Authorities attributed the incident to a combination of human and computer errors.

Last week’s accident followed a January collision in Adamuz, where two high-speed trains collided head-on, killing at least 41 people. That incident was the deadliest rail crash in Spain in over a decade.

Calls for Puente’s resignation grew after the latest crash, with protests and political pressure. Police clashed with protesters outside the transport ministry, some of whom demanded Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s resignation.

Puente’s resignation comes three weeks before Spain’s general elections, in which he confirmed he will not run. Prime Minister Sánchez praised Puente for stepping down out of respect for the victims and the country’s progress.