Credit : Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's X
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has expressed Malaysia’s deep sorrow over the deadly collision between two high-speed trains in central Spain, extending condolences on behalf of the Government and people of Malaysia to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and the families of the victims.
In a statement shared on his official X account on October 29, Anwar said he was “deeply grieved by the tragic loss of life in the train collision in Spain”, adding that Malaysians’ thoughts were with all those who had lost loved ones and that he wished the injured a swift recovery.
“Malaysia stands in solidarity with the people of Spain at this difficult time,” the Prime Minister wrote. He also paid tribute to the emergency personnel and others “working tirelessly at the scene”.
“On behalf of the Government and people of Malaysia, I extend our deepest condolences to Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, the Government and people of Spain, and especially to the families of the victims,” said Anwar, who signed off the message in his own name.
The crash happened on the morning of Wednesday, October 28, shortly before 9 a.m. local time, on the high-speed line linking Madrid with Seville. Spain’s rail infrastructure operator Adif said a train run by the state-owned Renfe struck the rear of a train operated by the private company Iryo, which was stationary on the track between the towns of Mora and Orgaz in the province of Toledo, south of Madrid. Both trains were heading south from the capital. At least 68 people were killed and dozens more were injured, making it the deadliest rail accident in Spain since 2013.
According to the regional government of Castilla-La Mancha, the Iryo train was carrying 146 passengers and a baby, while the Renfe train had 397 passengers on board. The impact derailed carriages at the rear of the Iryo train and the front of the Renfe train, with at least two carriages sent down an embankment. Fire crews and helicopters were deployed to the scene, hospitals in the area suspended planned surgeries to cope with the influx of casualties, and a blood transfusion centre in Madrid appealed for urgent donations.
Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente said a computer communications failure had automatically halted several trains on the line, after which the control centre took over and allowed traffic to resume. He described the decision to let the Renfe train continue its journey as “inexplicable”, saying it was the origin of the accident, and said the person who made the decision had been identified. The Guardia Civil is investigating events at the control centre in the minutes before the collision.
Visiting the crash site, Sánchez said “the whole of Spain is grieving” and that the pain was immense. “We will get to the bottom of this, and if there has been any negligence, it will come to light,” he said, adding that any failures in the safety system would be addressed “with the utmost firmness”. He and other Spanish politicians cancelled their public engagements, including campaigning for next month’s parliamentary elections, while all Copa del Rey football matches scheduled for the day were suspended as a mark of respect.
The disaster is the second high-speed rail tragedy in Spain this year, after a derailment in the south of the country in January claimed 46 lives. Services between Madrid and Andalusia were suspended following Wednesday’s collision.
Anwar’s message adds Malaysia’s voice to the expressions of sympathy pouring in from around the world, including from the European Union, which said it stood ready to help Spain if needed.
Source: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on X
About The Author
