Spain's transport minister says he will resign after deadly train crash
Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente said on Tuesday that he will step down after two fatal rail accidents within less than a year. He did not say when he would leave office.
Spain's Transport Minister Óscar Puente told lawmakers on Tuesday that he will resign. He linked the decision to two serious rail accidents in the country within less than a year. The minister did not say when he would leave his post. Reuters reported his remarks.
The minister's explanation
Puente told deputies that a transport minister in a country like Spain cannot stay in office after two accidents of such gravity in under a year. He said he made the decision after the latest disaster on 28 October, in which, by his account, 69 people died. He nevertheless kept doing his job so that he could deal with the aftermath and take measures to help prevent similar accidents in the future.
Previously, Puente had refused to resign.
The crash
On the morning of 28 October, two trains collided near the town of Urda in Toledo province. More than 540 people were aboard the two trains. According to the latest figures, 74 people were killed, which is higher than the number the minister cited.
Preliminary information suggests the cause may have been human error in responding to a failure of the signalling system. No official investigation findings are given in the source.
The minister's announcement means the Spanish government will soon need to find a new head of its transport portfolio. The source does not say who might replace him.
