Photo: AP Kakitangan kecemasan
bertindak balas terhadap kejadian kegelinciran kereta api di Santiago de
Compostela, Sepanyol, pada Rabu 24 Julai, 2013. Sebuah kereta api tergelincir
di barat laut Sepanyol pada malam Rabu, menggulingkan kereta penumpang di sisi
mereka dan meninggalkan sekurang-kurangnya satu terbuka koyak sebagai asap naik
ke udara. Puluhan dikhuatiri mati, dengan kemungkinan banyak yang cedera (Emergency
personnel respond to the scene of a train derailment in Santiago de Compostela,
Spain, on Wednesday, July 24, 2013. A train derailed in northwestern Spain on
Wednesday night, toppling passenger cars on their sides and leaving at least
one torn open as smoke rose into the air. Dozens were feared dead, with
possibly even more injured – think IN pictures @1WORLDCommunity)
1WC’sChannel - Santiago de Compostela, Sepanyol (AP) “Saudara-mara
di luar rumah mayat teresak-esak dibuat kemalangan Sepanyol” Saudara-mara
mangsa daripada kemalangan kereta api di barat laut Sepanyol menangis
teresak-esak dan memeluk setiap yang lain Jumaat berhampiran rumah mayat
sementara di arena sukan untuk mangsa-mangsa sebagai jumlah kematian meningkat
kepada 78 dan penyiasat cuba untuk menentukan punca.
Kereta
api melonjak trek dan sekurang-kurangnya seorang penumpang memberitahu sebuah
stesen radio bahawa ia kelihatan akan tersangat laju kerana ia pergi ketara
manakala menghampiri stesen di bandar ini, kuil Katolik pada malam perayaan
agama yang besar.
73
orang ditemui mati di tempat kemalangan itu dan 4 mati di hospital, kata Maria
Pardo Rios, jurucakap mahkamah utama di rantau Galicia. Seorang lain juga mati,
menjadikan jumlah kepada 78, tetapi tiada maklumat segera boleh didapati di
mana, kata seorang pegawai Kementerian Dalam Negeri yang bercakap dengan syarat
tidak mahu namanya disiarkan kerana dasar kementerian.
Sekurang-kurangnya
141 orang cedera - beberapa kritikal - selepas kereta api 8 pengangkutan
membawa 218 penumpang tergelincir kira-kira sejam sebelum matahari terbenam malam
Rabu. Pihak berkuasa tidak mengenal pasti punca-punca kemalangan yang mungkin,
tetapi dengan seorang jurucakap Kementerian Dalam Negeri Sepanyol Khamis kemungkinan
bahawa kegagalan itu disebabkan oleh serangan pengganas telah diperintah
keluar. Beliau juga bercakap dengan syarat tidak mahu namanya disiarkan kerana
dasar kementerian.
Ia
adalah kemalangan kereta api dahsyat Sepanyol sejak 1972, apabila kereta api
berlanggar dengan sebuah bas di barat daya Sepanyol, membunuh 86 orang dan
mencederakan 112. Perdana Menteri Mariano Rajoy, yang dilahirkan di Santiago de
Compostela, melawat tempat kejadian kemalangan Khamis dengan pekerja penyelamat
dan kemudian pergi ke hospital untuk melawat penumpang-penumpang yang cedera.
Rajoy dgn
suram memberitahu pemberita bahawa "bagi yang berasal dari Santiago,
seperti saya, ini adalah hari yang menyedihkan." Beliau berkata siasatan
telah dilancarkan oleh pihak berkuasa kehakiman dan Kementerian Awam Kerja Raya
untuk menentukan punca secepat mungkin tetapi enggan untuk mengambil soalan
daripada pemberita.
Pegawai-pegawai
di bandar membatalkan untuk upacara perayaan agama tahunan yang menarik puluhan
ribu orang Kristian dari seluruh DUNIA. "24 Julai tidak lagi akan menjadi
malam hari perayaan tetapi satu memperingati salah satu hari yang paling
menyedihkan dalam sejarah Galicia," kata Alberto Nunez Feijoo, presiden
rantau di mana Galicia Santiago de Compostela ialah ibu kotanya.
Pekerja
penyelamat bermalam mencari melalui kereta terhancur bersama trek, dan Pardo
berkata ia adalah tidak mustahil bahawa kematian boleh pergi lebih tinggi.
Ramai yang mati telah dibawa ke rumah mayat sementara ditubuhkan di arena sukan
dalaman terbesar di bandar ini, di mana polis dan mahkamah pegawai telah
mengenal pasti mayat-mayat. Saudara-mara mangsa menangis teresak-esak dan
memeluk antara satu sama lain di luar di tempat berdekatan untuk maklumat
keluarga mencari berita tentang orang-orang yang mereka tersayang hilang.
Seorang
pegawai kesihatan serantau Galicia, Rocio Mosquera, kepada pemberita pada
sidang akhbar awal hari ini bahawa 141 penumpang dari kereta api telah dirawat
di kawasan hospital, dengan keadaan mereka yang terdiri daripada kecederaan
ringan kepada yang serius. Ada yang masih dalam beberajam pembedahan selepas
kemalangan itu, manakala yang lain telah dirawat dan dibebaskan.
Sebagai
subuh tiba, kren membawa ke tempat kejadian itu telah digunakan untuk
mengangkat kereta di trek dan pekerja penyelamat dilihat mengumpul bagasi
penumpang dan memasukkannya ke dalam sebuah trak di sebelah trek.
Tapak
itu sendiri adalah satu babak seram serta-merta selepas kemalangan. Asap dari
sekurang-kurangnya satu kereta yang terbakar; lain memecah masuk ke 2 bahagian.
Penduduk di kejiranan bandar di samping trek berjuang untuk membantu mangsa
keluar dari garabak yang terguling.
Pekerja
penyelamat menyusun mayat dalam selimut bersama trek dan beberapa penumpang
ditarik keluar dari tingkap yang pecah. Imej televisyen menunjukkan seorang
lelaki di atas pengangkutan berbaring, menggunakan beliung untuk cuba untuk
menghancurkan melalui tingkap. Penduduk berkata penyelamat yang lain mengunakan
batu.
Pengendali
kereta api milik negara Renfe katanya dalam satu kenyataan yang tidak
ditentukan bilangan kakitangan juga di atas kenderaan kereta api semasa 08:41
(1841 GMT) kemalangan di seksyen landasan kira-kira 2.5 batu (4 kilometer) dari
Santiago de Compostela yang datang dalam talian 2 tahun yang lalu. Media
Sepanyol berkata kereta api itu mempunyai dua konduktor kapal dan bahawa
kedua-dua terselamat.
Renfe
dan Adif, syarikat milik kerajaan yang menguruskan trek, isyarat dan
infrastruktur kereta api yang lain, telah bekerjasama dengan hakim yang telah
dilantik untuk menyiasat kemalangan itu, Renfe katanya. Ia adalah yang ke-3
bencana rel utama bulan ini. Pada 12 Julai, 6 orang terbunuh dan hampir 200
cedera apabila 4 kereta api penumpang tergelincir di selatan Paris.
Pada 6
Julai, 72 kereta membawa minyak mentah tergelincir di Lac-Megantic, Ontario,
mencetuskan letupan dan kebakaran yang mengorbankan 47 orang. Jemaah Katolik berkumpul
di Santiago de Compostela setiap tahun untuk meraikan perayaan menghormati St
James, pengikut Isa yang masih dikatakan berehat di kuil. Bandar ini merupakan
titik perhimpunan utama untuk setia yang membuat ia ke akhir El Camino de
Santiago laluan ziarah yang telah menarik orang Kristian sejak Zaman
Pertengahan.
Kemalangan
mencipta adegan yang "Dante-esque," kata Feijoo. Beliau
mengisytiharkan 7 hari berkabung untuk menghormati mangsa-mangsa. Beberapa
penumpang cedera berkata, mereka merasakan getaran yang kuat sebelum kereta
melonjak trek, kata Xabier Martinez, seorang jurugambar yang bercakap dengan
mereka selepas tiba di tempat kejadian sebagai pekerja penyelamat mengeluarkan
berpuluh-puluh mayat.
Penumpang
Ricardo Montero memberitahu stesen radio Cadena Ser bahawa "apabila kereta
api sampai selekoh bahawa ia mula terbalik, banyak kali, dengan beberapa
gerabak berakhir di atas yang lainnya, meninggalkan ramai orang yang
terperangkap di bawah. Kami terpaksa mendapatkan ianya di bawah gerabak untuk membawa
keluar. "
Seorang
lagi penumpang, Sergio Prego, memberitahu Cadena Ser kereta api
"mengembara sangat cepat" sebelum ia tergelincir dan kereta berbalik
terbalik. "Saya amat bernasib baik kerana saya salah satu daripada
beberapa dapat berjalan keluar," katanya.
The
Alvia 730 siri kereta api bermula dari Madrid dan dijadual menamatkan
perjalanan di El Ferrol, kira-kira 95 kilometer (60 batu) ke utara Santiago de
Compostela. Alvias adalah kelajuan yang tinggi tetapi tidak pergi secepat
peluru terpantas Sepanyol keretapi dipanggil Aves.
Kelajuan
Alvia maksimum 250 kph (155 mph) pada trek yang dibuat khas untuk Aves, dan
mereka bergerak pada kelajuan maksimum 220 kilometer sejam (137 mph) di
landasan tolok normal.
Lain-lain
kemalangan kereta api utama di Sepanyol sejak beberapa dekad termasuk
kemalangan 1944 di kereta api dalam perjalanan dari Madrid ke rantau Galicia
yang mengorbankan 78 orang.
Satu
kemalangan kereta bawah tanah di bandar selatan Valencia membunuh 43 orang pada
tahun 2006 dan telah dipersalahkan pada kelajuan yang berlebihan. Pengeboman di
kereta api Madrid dijalankan pada tahun 2004 membunuh 191 orang.
Clendenning
dilaporkan dari Madrid. Ciaran Giles menyumbang dari Madrid.
Photo: AP Seorang penyelamat
kecemasan berjalan bersama-sama kereta api tergelincir di Santiago de
Compostela, Sepanyol, pada Khamis Julai 25, 2013. Sebuah kereta api penumpang
tergelincir malam Rabu di sepanjang curvy trek di barat laut Sepanyol, membunuh
sekurang-kurangnya 40 orang yang ditangkap di dalam kenderaan yang terguling dan
mencederakan sekurang-kurangnya 140 dalam kemalangan kereta api terburuk di
negara ini dalam beberapa dekad, kata pegawai (An emergency rescuer walks along
an derailed train in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, on Thursday, July 25, 2013.
A passenger train derailed Wednesday night on a curvy stretch of track in
northwestern Spain, killing at least 40 people caught inside toppled cars and
injuring at least 140 in the country's worst rail accident in decades,
officials said – think IN pictures @1WORLDCommunity)
Photo: AP Kakitangan kecemasan
bertindak balas terhadap kejadian kegelinciran kereta api di Santiago de
Compostela, Sepanyol, pada Rabu 24 Julai, 2013. Sebuah kereta api tergelincir
di barat laut Sepanyol pada malam Rabu, menggulingkan kenderaan penumpang di
sisi mereka dan meninggalkan sekurang-kurangnya satu terbuka koyak sebagai asap
naik ke udara. Puluhan dikhuatiri mati, dengan kemungkinan banyak yang cedera (Emergency
personnel respond to the scene of a train derailment in Santiago de Compostela,
Spain, on Wednesday, July 24, 2013. A train derailed in northwestern Spain on
Wednesday night, toppling passenger cars on their sides and leaving at least
one torn open as smoke rose into the air. Dozens were feared dead, with
possibly even more injured – think IN pictures @1WORLDCommunity)
Photo: AP Kakitangan kecemasan
bertindak balas terhadap kejadian kegelinciran kereta api di Santiago de
Compostela, Sepanyol, pada Rabu 24 Julai, 2013. Sebuah kereta api tergelincir
di barat laut Sepanyol pada malam Rabu, menggulingkan kereta penumpang di sisi
mereka dan meninggalkan sekurang-kurangnya satu terbuka koyak sebagai asap naik
ke udara. Puluhan dikhuatiri mati, dengan kemungkinan lebih bayak yang cedera (Emergency
personnel respond to the scene of a train derailment in Santiago de Compostela,
Spain, on Wednesday, July 24, 2013. A train derailed in northwestern Spain on
Wednesday night, toppling passenger cars on their sides and leaving at least
one torn open as smoke rose into the air. Dozens were feared dead, with
possibly even more injured – think IN pictures @1WORLDCommunity)
Photo: AP Seorang wanita
dipindahkan oleh kakitangan kecemasan di tempat kejadian kegelinciran kereta
api di Santiago de Compostela, Sepanyol, pada rabu, 24 Julai, 2013. Sebuah
kereta api tergelincir di barat laut Sepanyol pada malam Rabu, menggulingkan
kereta penumpang di sisi mereka dan meninggalkan sekurang-kurangnya satu
terbuka koyak sebagai asap naik ke udara. Puluhan dikhuatiri mati, dengan
kemungkinan lebih banyak yang tercedera (A woman is evacuated by emergency
personnel at the scene of a train derailment in Santiago de Compostela, Spain,
on Wednesday, July 24, 2013. A train derailed in northwestern Spain on
Wednesday night, toppling passenger cars on their sides and leaving at least
one torn open as smoke rose into the air. Dozens were feared dead, with
possibly even more injured – think IN pictures @1WORLDCommunity)
Photo: AP Kakitangan kecemasan
bertindak balas terhadap kejadian kegelinciran kereta api di Santiago de
Compostela, Sepanyol, pada Rabu 24 Julai, 2013. Sebuah kereta api tergelincir
di barat laut Sepanyol pada malam Rabu, menggulingkan kereta penumpang di sisi
mereka dan meninggalkan sekurang-kurangnya satu terbuka koyak sebagai asap naik
ke udara. Puluhan dikhuatiri mati, dengan kemungkinan lebih banyak yang cedera
(Emergency personnel respond to the scene of a train derailment in Santiago de
Compostela, Spain, on Wednesday, July 24, 2013. A train derailed in
northwestern Spain on Wednesday night, toppling passenger cars on their sides
and leaving at least one torn open as smoke rose into the air. Dozens were
feared dead, with possibly even more injured – think IN pictures @1WORLDCommunity)
Relatives sob outside morgue made for Spain crash
1WC’sChannel - SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA, Spain (AP)
Relatives of victims from a train crash in northwestern Spain sobbed and hugged
each other Friday near a makeshift morgue in a sports arena for the victims as
the death toll rose to 78 and investigators tried to determine the cause.
The
train jumped the tracks and at least one passenger told a radio station that it
appeared to be going very fast as it went into a pronounced curve while
approaching the station in this Catholic shrine city on the eve of a major
religious festival.
Seventy-three
people were found dead at the scene of the accident and four died in hospitals,
said Maria Pardo Rios, spokeswoman for the Galicia region's main court. Another
person also died, bringing the toll to 78, but no information was immediately
available on where, said an Interior Ministry official who spoke on condition
of anonymity because of ministry policy.
At
least 141 people were injured - some critically - after the eight-carriage
train carrying 218 passengers derailed about an hour before sunset Wednesday
night. Authorities did not identify any possible accident causes, but a
spokeswoman with Spain's Interior Ministry said Thursday that the possibility
that the derailment was caused by a terrorist attack had been ruled out. She
also spoke on condition of anonymity because of the ministry policy.
It was
Spain's deadliest train accident since 1972, when a train collided with a bus
in southwestern Spain, killing 86 people and injuring 112. Prime Minister
Mariano Rajoy, who was born in Santiago de Compostela, toured the crash scene
Thursday with rescue workers and then went to a hospital to visit injured passengers.
A grim
Rajoy told reporters that "for a native of Santiago, like me, this is the
saddest day." He said investigations had been launched by judicial
authorities and the Public Works Ministry to determine the cause as quickly as
possible but declined to take questions from reporters.
Officials
in the city canceled ceremonies for its annual religious festival that attracts
tens of thousands of Christians from around the world. "July 24 will no
longer be the eve of a day of celebration but rather one commemorating one of
the saddest days in the history of Galicia," said Alberto Nunez Feijoo,
president of the region of Galicia where Santiago de Compostela is the capital.
Rescue
workers spent the night searching through smashed cars alongside the tracks,
and Pardo said it was possible that the death toll could go higher. Many of the
dead were taken to a makeshift morgue set up in the city's largest indoor
sports arena, where police and court officials were identifying the bodies.
Relatives of victims sobbed and hugged each other outside at a nearby
information point for families seeking news about their missing loved ones.
A
regional Galicia health official, Rocio Mosquera, told reporters at a press
conference early Thursday that 141 passengers from the train had been treated
at area hospitals, with their conditions ranging from light injuries to
serious. Some were still in surgery hours after the crash, while others had
been treated and released.
As dawn
arrived, cranes brought to the scene were used to lift the cars off the tracks
and rescue workers were seen collecting passenger luggage and putting it into a
truck next to the tracks. The site itself was a scene of horror immediately
after the crash. Smoke billowed from at least one car which caught fire;
another broke into two parts. Residents of the urban neighborhood alongside the
tracks struggled to help victims out of the toppled cars.
Rescue
workers lined up bodies covered in blankets alongside the tracks and some
passengers were pulled out of broken windows. Television images showed one man
atop a carriage lying on its side, using a pickaxe to try to smash through a
window. Residents said other rescuers used rocks.
State-owned
train operator Renfe said in a statement an unspecified number of staff were
also on board the train during the 8.41 p.m. (1841 GMT) crash on a section of
tracks about 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) from Santiago de Compostela that came
online two years ago. Spanish media said the train had two conductors aboard
and that both survived.
Renfe
and Adif, the state-owned company which manages tracks, signals and other
railway infrastructure, were cooperating with a judge who has been appointed to
investigate the accident, Renfe said. It was the third major rail disaster this
month. On July 12, six people were killed and nearly 200 were injured when four
cars of a passenger train derailed south of Paris.
On July
6, 72 cars carrying crude oil derailed in Lac-Megantic, Ontario, setting off
explosions and fires which killed 47 people. Catholic pilgrims converge on the
Santiago de Compostela annually to celebrate a festival honoring St. James, the
disciple of Jesus whose remains are said to rest in a shrine. The city is the
main gathering point for the faithful who make it to the end of the El Camino
de Santiago pilgrimage route that has drawn Christians since the Middle Ages.
The
accident created a scene that was "Dante-esque," Feijoo said. He
declared seven days of mourning to honor the victims. Several injured
passengers said they felt a strong vibration just before the cars jumped the
tracks, said Xabier Martinez, a photographer who talked with them after
arriving at the scene as rescue workers were removing dozens of bodies.
Passenger
Ricardo Montero told the Cadena Ser radio station that "when the train
reached that bend it began to flip over, many times, with some carriages ending
up on top of others, leaving many people trapped below. We had to get under the
carriages to get out."
Another
passenger, Sergio Prego, told Cadena Ser the train "traveled very
fast" just before it derailed and the cars flipped upside down, on their
sides and into the air. "I've been very lucky because I'm one of the few
able to walk out," he said.
The
Alvia 730 series train started from Madrid and was scheduled to end its journey
at El Ferrol, about 95 kilometers (60 miles) north of Santiago de Compostela.
Alvias are high-speed but do not go as fast as Spain's fastest bullet trains
called AVEs.
The
maximum Alvia speed is 250 kph (155 mph) on tracks made especially for the
AVEs, and they travel at a maximum speed of 220 kph (137 mph) on normal gauge
rails. Other major train crashes in Spain over the decades include a 1944
accident on a train traveling from Madrid to the Galicia region that killed 78
people. A subway crash in the southern city of Valencia killed 43 people in
2006 and was blamed on excessive speed. The Madrid train bombings carried out
in 2004 killed 191 people.
Clendenning reported from Madrid. Ciaran Giles
contributed from Madrid.
