Transport Minister Óscar Puente refuses to resign following a deadly train crash in Spain that killed 69 people.
Spain's transport minister, Óscar Puente, refuses to step down. He faces pressure following a deadly high-speed train disaster. At least 69 people died in the crash.
Next, Puente spoke at a press conference in Madrid. He stated he has nothing to hide. He promised to find answers regarding the tragedy.
Meanwhile, the minister claims his main duty is solving the problem. He does not want to discuss his job status. Many political rivals and unions still demand his resignation.
Also, the crash occurred near Urda on Wednesday morning. A moving Renfe train hit a stationary Iryo train. The Renfe train traveled at high speeds during the impact.
Then, investigators found the train moved at 160km/h to 200km/h. The front carriage crashed into the rear of the other train. This event marks one of Europe's worst rail accidents.
However, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed deep concern. He said public trust in the rail network is broken. He called the repeat of such tragedies unacceptable.
After that, reports emerged about a computer failure. This system issue stopped six trains on Wednesday morning. Leaked audio suggests a controller gave the wrong orders.
Later, the audio showed a train received clearance to move. Another train was already stalled on the same track. Puente called this decision to move the trains inexplicable.
Still, some politicians criticized the leaking of these audio files. Others warn against blaming a single worker for the accident. Critics point to long-standing issues within the rail sector.
Finally, the minister pledged to investigate the matter thoroughly. He promised to act if human error caused the disaster. Spain continues to observe three days of mourning.