78 dead after train derails, splits apart in Spain

[metisdead]

Santiago de Compostela, Spain (CNN) -- The train races into view, and in the space of a heartbeat, the cars derail and crash into a wall of concrete, flipping onto their sides and skidding along the track with terrifying speed and force.

Security footage shows the horror of the moment an express train derailed as it hurtled around a curve in northwestern Spain on Wednesday, killing at least 78 people and injuring 178, local officials said.

Flames burst out of one train car as another car was snapped in half after the crash. Rescue crews and fellow passengers pulled bodies through broken windows and pried open doors as stunned survivors looked on.

Story and video here: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/07/25/world/europe/spain-train-crash/

[klubex99]

I saw the video of the crash...... terrible.

RIP

[jbrain]

The Youtube of the crash is in another thread posted by a TV member quite some time earlier.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/656160-raw-footage-spain-train-crash-near-santiago-de-compostela/

[klubex99]

Train seems to be going far too fast for that tight bend, or should I say that bend is far too tight for a high speed train.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_fMxDO76P4

Sky News report.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndXm6FQWIkI

[klubex99]

The Youtube of the crash is in another thread posted by a TV member quite some time earlier.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/656160-raw-footage-spain-train-crash-near-santiago-de-compostela/

I wanted to post it earlier, but it belongs in World news section, and we don't have thread starting rights in the news section.

[wooloomooloo]

...the cars derail and crash into a wall of concrete...

I wonder if more lives would have been lost had the wall not been there. Moot point, but interesting thought in a strange sort of way.

[hanno]

...the cars derail and crash into a wall of concrete...

I wonder if more lives would have been lost had the wall not been there. Moot point, but interesting thought in a strange sort of way.

Just watching BBC, apparently the train traveled at twice the speed limit in that bend.

[lungmi]

It was a High Speed Train (Canadian-Spain technology) with a modern system to control the speed, but it failed.

In Phrae we had no High Speed Train and no speed control system. Imagine how many accidents in Thailand with

the High Speed trains will occur, when the delusional plan of the Government gets reality?

[Tywais]

Just watching BBC, apparently the train traveled at twice the speed limit in that bend.

One news video shows the speed limit at that point was 50 mph but the train estimated to be going 118 mph.

[boomerangutang]

Thailand wants bullet trains. Problematic

Thailand wants several nuclear power plants: Problematic also.

Better to focus on improving the rail system here, and research the latest in alternative/renewable energy options.

[OzMick]

It was a High Speed Train (Canadian-Spain technology) with a modern system to control the speed, but it failed.

In Phrae we had no High Speed Train and no speed control system. Imagine how many accidents in Thailand with

the High Speed trains will occur, when the delusional plan of the Government gets reality?

So where was the driver?

[simple1]

It was a High Speed Train (Canadian-Spain technology) with a modern system to control the speed, but it failed.

In Phrae we had no High Speed Train and no speed control system. Imagine how many accidents in Thailand with

the High Speed trains will occur, when the delusional plan of the Government gets reality?

It has been stated that the stretch of rail line at the accident scene had not implemented the automated systems to apply braking if exceeding the speed limit. Allegedly there is a warning system 4 klms prior to entering the curve that alerts the driver to manually commence braking, this the driver ignored/overlooked and is for now refusing to further collaborate with the accident investigation team

[Credo]

<snipped>

Allegedly there is a warning system 4 klms prior to entering the curve that alerts the driver to manually commence braking, this the driver ignored/overlooked and is for now refusing to further collaborate with the accident investigation team

Do they know if the alarm system was actually working?

Is there more than one person that can corroborate if the alarm was functioning?

[simple1]

<snipped>

Allegedly there is a warning system 4 klms prior to entering the curve that alerts the driver to manually commence braking, this the driver ignored/overlooked and is for now refusing to further collaborate with the accident investigation team

Do they know if the alarm system was actually working?

Is there more than one person that can corroborate if the alarm was functioning?

A bit more detail has emerged via the media. "The driver acknowledged that the alarm went off in the control panel, and he tried to brake but was not able to avert the tragedy," the newspaper added."

http://www.france24.com/en/20130726-train-crash-driver-formally-detained-spanish-police-garzon

[soihok]

Tragedy.

RIP, very sad

[Banzai99]

Can you imagine the reaction on ThaiVisa if the Train Driver was Thai ?

Or, the Coach driver in Italy was Thai.........

[NanLaew]

The following redacted from this

The train driver in last week's crash in Spain was talking on the phone when it derailed, investigators say.

Francisco Jose Garzon Amo was speaking to members of staff at the state-owned railway company, Renfe, they added.

Crash investigators had opened the train's "black-box" data recorder to find the cause of the crash, which left 79 people dead.

Moments before the accident the train was travelling at a speed of 192km/h (119mph), the court said in a statement.

Investigators say the brakes were activated shortly before the crash.

The speed limit on the sharp bend where the train derailed was set at 80km/h (49mph).

"Minutes before the train came off the tracks he received a call on his work phone to get indications on the route he had to take to get to Ferrol. From the content of the conversation and background noise it seems that the driver consulted a map or paper document," a court statement said.

He was consulting a map to find out where he was supposed to go? Do Spanish trains have the ability to take alternative routes to a destination beyond the iron road?

[F430murci]

The following redacted from this

The train driver in last week's crash in Spain was talking on the phone when it derailed, investigators say.

Francisco Jose Garzon Amo was speaking to members of staff at the state-owned railway company, Renfe, they added.

Crash investigators had opened the train's "black-box" data recorder to find the cause of the crash, which left 79 people dead.

Moments before the accident the train was travelling at a speed of 192km/h (119mph), the court said in a statement.

Investigators say the brakes were activated shortly before the crash.

The speed limit on the sharp bend where the train derailed was set at 80km/h (49mph).

"Minutes before the train came off the tracks he received a call on his work phone to get indications on the route he had to take to get to Ferrol. From the content of the conversation and background noise it seems that the driver consulted a map or paper document," a court statement said.

He was consulting a map to find out where he was supposed to go? Do Spanish trains have the ability to take alternative routes to a destination beyond the iron road?

This. He was on phone with train company.

[copa8]

Can you imagine the reaction on ThaiVisa if the Train Driver was Thai ?

Or, the Coach driver in Italy was Thai.........

or if this was a chinese train derailment? comments bashing it's rail quality would flood in. fatal accident rates are relatively low, considering it's the busiest/biggest high-speed rail network in the world.

[Scott]

We can all imagine different scenarios, however, let's try to make sure we stay on the topic.

Thanks.