Four young people die after being struck by train while crossing track in Barcelona
A group of eight people were crossing the railway line at an unauthorised point near Montmeló station, according to train operator Renfe
Four young people lost their lives in Spain on Sunday evening after being hit by a suburban train near the town of Montmeló in Barcelona. The four fatalities are three young women and a man, all aged around 20. With them were three other young women, who were able to avoid the train and were uninjured.
The train was travelling the line between Barcelona and Vic and the tragic accident happened at around 8.22pm between the stations of Parets del Vallès and Granollers, in the province of Barcelona. According to train operator Renfe sources, the seven young people were crossing the tracks at a point that was forbidden for pedestrians.
On Sunday, a techno music festival was being held nearby and, according to initial investigations, it is believed that the group of young people were on their way to the event. But they crossed the tracks at an unauthorised point, on a bend and with poor visibility as it was already getting dark, when they were hit by the train operating the local service. The train driver was unable to brake in time to avoid hitting them.
There were 170 people travelling on the train, who were uninjured despite the accident. Just after 11.30pm they were able to continue their journey by road as Renfe put on an alternative transport service while the track remained closed to traffic and the train was stopped until the initial investigations and the recovery of the bodies had been completed.
"Absolutely shocked"
It was "a deadly tragedy that takes our breath away," said Pere Aragonès, president of the Catalan government, after learning of the incident. Absolutely shocked," he added, "by the terrible accident in Montmeló. For her part, the Minister for Transport, Mobility and the Urban Agenda, Raquel Sánchez, expressed her "deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased and her support for the emergency teams and services working on this very difficult situation".
It has been a long time since such a serious railway accident had been recorded in Catalonia. The last was in 2010 when 12 people were killed by a train near Castelldefels station. It also involved a group of young people crossing the tracks on foot in a prohibited area.
