Guterres Mourns Victims of Deadly Spain Train Crash

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has expressed condolences to Spain following a deadly train collision that reportedly claimed at least 68 lives.

The UN spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, disclosed this on Wednesday in New York, saying Guterres was deeply saddened and shocked by the accident.

Dujarric said the UN chief extended his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families, the Spanish people and the government.

Rescue workers continued searching through the wreckage for additional victims following the collision involving two Spanish high-speed trains.

The crash was described as Spain’s second fatal rail accident this year and Europe’s deadliest rail disaster since 2013.

Speaking in a televised address near the crash site, south of Madrid, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said the tragedy had plunged the entire country into mourning.

Sánchez also disclosed that the opposition People’s Party had cancelled all campaign activities ahead of next month’s election in response to the disaster.

Describing the incident as a “terrible tragedy”, the prime minister pledged a comprehensive investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the collision.

He, however, said preliminary indications suggested that the causes of the two rail accidents recorded this year were unrelated.

Sánchez stressed that the government would take further measures to strengthen railway safety and restore public confidence in the country’s high-speed rail network.

He said it was unacceptable for Spain to experience two high-speed rail accidents in the same year.