Emergency responders in Catalonia are dealing with the aftermath of a fatal train derailment that occurred during severe weather conditions on Tuesday evening. A Rodalies commuter train veered off the tracks and collided with a collapsed retaining wall between the towns of Gelida and Sant Sadurní, approximately 35 kilometers west of Barcelona.
The incident resulted in the tragic death of the train driver and left at least 14 passengers injured. Emergency medical services deployed eleven ambulances to the scene, where they conducted triage and assessed the severity of injuries. Those requiring hospitalization were evacuated to multiple medical facilities including Moisès Broggi, Bellvitge, and Vila Franca hospitals.
Catalonia’s fire service mobilized 35 specialized crews to the accident site, where they successfully rescued one passenger who had been trapped inside the wreckage. Following extensive search operations, authorities confirmed that no remaining passengers were trapped inside the derailed cars, though crews continued area sweeps to ensure no additional victims were present.
The derailment occurred as northeastern Spain experienced intense storm activity that has placed many coastal regions on high alert. The severe weather system has generated multiple-meter-high waves along the Menorcan coastline and produced snowstorms in the Pyrenees mountain region.
This tragic incident follows another major rail accident that occurred just two days prior in Adamuz, Andalusia, where a collision between high-speed trains resulted in one of Spain’s worst rail disasters in over a decade.