Two people die after being hit on high-speed train line in Spain

A train on the high-speed train line from Madrid to Salamanca hit two people on the track, both aged in their 40s, on Sunday night, 20 July. The emergency services have confirmed their deaths.

While the woman's identity is pending investigation, the man's has been confirmed. The police discovered that he had been previously reported for gender violence.

The incident happened at around 10.45pm at Castellanos de Moriscos. Passengers were informed by national railway operator Renfe that the train had been involved in an accident. At first, it was believed that it had hit only one person, until the remains of the second victim were discovered some time later.

According to the information provided so far, "one of the bodies was rendered unrecognisable", which is why a fuller investigation and advanced forensic techniques are necessary. These include dental and tissue samples, as well as fingerprint records.

The incident involved an Alvia train 4909, which left Madrid at 9.11pm and was due to arrive at Salamanca station before 11pm. The train was travelling along the high-speed line between Salamanca and Madrid, which is protected and fenced.

This is the second incident on this line in recent months. In March, a young woman died after crossing outside the authorised area in the municipality of Gomecello. Due to the incident, the train was halted for around three hours.