Police use tear gas during protest in Madrid — RMF24

Riots broke out in Spain’s capital, Madrid, on Wednesday evening following a railway disaster in the province of Toledo. About 1,500 people gathered near the Ministry of Transport building, demanding the resignation of the government of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Transport Minister Óscar Puente. Police used tear gas to disperse the crowd.

Protest near the Ministry of Transport

Participants in the demonstration blamed the authorities for the tragedy, accusing them of serious shortcomings. As RMF24 reports, far-right groups predominated among the demonstrators. According to Spanish broadcaster TVE, the protesters did not want to leave the protest site, and the tense situation near the ministry continued until late at night.

Train collision in the province of Toledo

Two high-speed trains collided on Wednesday morning in the town of Urda in the province of Toledo. At least 68 people were killed and more than 50 were injured. Among those killed was former Minister of Labour and Social Security Fátima Báñez of the opposition People’s Party.

More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.

According to preliminary information, a train operated by the state carrier Renfe was authorized to continue despite a red signal warning of another train on the track. Transport Minister Óscar Puente said there had been an “incomprehensible” breach of protocol following an IT system failure. He called human error a likely cause of the tragedy.

Second major accident this year

This is the second serious railway disaster in Spain since the beginning of the year. In January, a train operated by Iryo derailed near Adamuz in the province of Córdoba and collided with another train. Forty-five people were killed and another 122 were injured. After that accident, the opposition People’s Party and the far-right Vox criticized the government over shortcomings in the development of railway infrastructure.