The investigation into the Cordoba accident is focusing on the condition of the train tracks.
Minister Puente insists that it is still impossible to know whether the broken rails were a cause or a consequence of the accident.
BarcelonaAs the hours pass, Investigation into Sunday night's train crash in AdamuzThe train crash, which has already left 42 dead, more than a hundred injured, and 43 missing, is increasingly focusing on the condition of the tracks. Investigation teams are working with all hypotheses open, but have concentrated on several rail breaks detected along the stretch of track where the accident occurred. In an interview Monday night on TVE, Transport Minister Óscar Puente admitted that, indeed, "there are pieces of broken rail in several places." "We have detected an initial break, but the crucial question is whether it is the cause or the consequence of the accident," the minister explained. In other words, the teams are now trying to determine whether the rail broke at some point and this caused the derailment, or whether, on the contrary, the train's derailment and the subsequent collision—and the dragging of all the rolling stock—damaged the tracks.
"It's hard to understand, because 20 minutes before [the accident] three other trains had passed through that same point, and the Iryo train itself, which was involved in the accident, managed to get at least five of its eight cars through that point," Puente explained. "Therefore, it doesn't seem that the rail was broken at that moment: if it broke, it broke, if it broke, it was at that moment: if it broke, it was broken at that moment: if it broke, it was broken at that moment: if it broke, it was broken at that moment: if it broke, it was broken at that moment: if it broke, it's hard to understand," the minister insisted last night. "The fact that there is broken rail at several points in the incident is just one more piece of information, but it doesn't support one theory over the other," he stated.
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On Tuesday, Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska reaffirmed in the press conference following the Council of Ministers meeting that "all hypotheses are open," but he did rule out sabotage. After summarizing all the actions taken since the accident, as well as the fatalities and missing persons, he stated that the Railway Accident Investigation Commission (CIAF) is the only body that can reach conclusions and also guaranteed that despite the accident, the railway system is "robust." Sources within the Spanish government clarified that the tracks, the wheels of the Iryo train, and those of trains that passed through the area on the same day are being analyzed. "If the rail was broken, there may be marks on the other trains," the same sources indicated, urging caution.Núria Orriols Guiu reports.
We will therefore have to wait for the first official assessments that must be made the Railway Accident Investigation Commission, the CIAFThe independent body explained on Tuesday that it is only in the "beginnings" of the investigation, gathering information. This body has warned that pieces of track and rolling stock will have to be taken to metal laboratories to determine if there was any wear or breakage.
Minister Puente, along with several train drivers and railway experts, maintains that it is "very rare" for a train to derail on a straight track, and especially for the rear cars to do so.
May works
Regarding the possibility that the track renewal works – carried out in May of last year – are defective, the minister again referred yesterday to the investigation and clarified that these are details that will have to be explained to the CIAF (Railway Infrastructure Commission). "It is true that the works were completed in May of last year and, therefore, it was not in its initial construction phase. Eight months have passed; it is a new track with sufficient operating time to rule out teething problems or defects that often occur in the first few days after infrastructure completion," explained Puente, who also detailed that between 2020 and 2020, millions of euros were allocated to remodel that line. In any case, the minister also insisted that "if it is indeed an error in the infrastructure," he "gave no clues." "There are no warnings from the safety systems or about the track systems. Previous trains also reported no anomalies," Puente remarked, adding that the prior warnings from Adif, the infrastructure manager, in recent months also had nothing to do with the tragic event that occurred.
Carriage 6, immobilized
This Tuesday, the Civil Guard also requested that carriage number six of the Iryo train be immobilized to gather more evidence. "It's the carriage that derailed," Minister Puente explained in the morning, and therefore, in the coming hours, they will also be dedicated to collecting information, conducting tests, and taking images that will help understand what happened to cause the tragic accident. It has also been confirmed that specialists have already finished examining carriages seven and eight, which can soon begin to be removed if authorized.
Expert sources in industrial engineering and close to the investigation, cited by Europa Press, indicate that the most important thing at this time is to continue examining ground zero, the place where the derailment occurred. They are also focusing on locating the missing bogie (wheel) from one of the trains and the black boxes from both trains, which will provide information about the speed, track conditions, the actions taken by the train drivers, and how the LZB safety system functioned.
A crane will lift the damaged train cars
Beyond the investigation, efforts are also focused this Tuesday on recovering the two Alvia train cars that plunged down an embankment after being struck by Typhoon Iryo. Technical rescue teams began installing a large crane, weighing approximately 300 tons, to lift the cars, but the operation is expected to be slow due to the large amount of material to be removed and the possibility that bodies may still be trapped inside the wreckage. Given the magnitude of the accident, the Spanish government plans to hold a state funeral and is already in discussions with other institutions to schedule a memorial service for the victims.