The rescue tasks are approaching the end with a toll of 69 dead, but it is not ruled out that it increases

Rescue operations for the Urda accident continue this Friday. The government of Castilla-La Mancha explains that the work "is very advanced," but President Emiliano García-Page has been clear: "We do not rule out that there may be more deaths," he admitted in a statement from Urda. Although the death toll remains at 69 people, the Manchego president detailed that reports of missing persons reach 70 and that at the accident's ground zero, work is still underway to identify bodies. In fact, García-Page lamented that there are around thirty bags "with partial remains" at the site of the disaster and that identifying them entails "enormous complexity."

Regarding those hospitalized due to the accident, García-Page explained that the situation's evolution is "notably positive": in Castilla-La Mancha, of the 110 injured who had initially been admitted to the hospital due to the accident, 39 remain this Friday, 17 of whom are still in the ICU. Therefore, 71 injured have already been discharged and, according to the Manchego president, those admitted show a "reasonably positive" evolution.

Regarding the rescue tasks, García-Page explained that "fortunately," when emergency services overturned one of the damaged train cars, they did not find any fatalities underneath. Given the advanced state of the rescues, the state of emergency has been downgraded to level 1, and this, as the Manchego president detailed, means that "many resources" that have already completed their work will be demobilized, and only the units in charge of judicial and surveillance tasks will remain on the ground.

Regarding the investigation of the events, in which an initial report revealed that the AVE was traveling at between 160 km and 200 km per hour when it impacted the Iryo train, it transpired this Friday that the operator who allegedly gave the order for the AVE to resume circulation with "normal travel" has refused to testify before the Civil Guard. For the moment, the worker has exercised his right not to testify.

On the other hand, an Adif official confirmed in a press conference that the operator from the Atocha control center involved in the train accident in Toledo has been "removed from service." "He is not in a condition to continue," he said, while clarifying that it will be the justice system that determines the next steps.

Renovating the Madrid-Barcelona AVE line

In parallel, this Friday the Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, explained that the Spanish government is considering closing the Madrid-Barcelona high-speed rail line to renovate it comprehensively. Puente acknowledged in a press conference that this possibility is on the table, but that the decision has not been made. "I will not hide from you that at this time it is one of the things we are considering. Not for security reasons, but for many reasons," the minister said. This is the model followed by countries like Germany. Spain, on the other hand, chooses to maintain circulation despite the renovation of the track and some elements, such as the security system.