A commuter train ploughed into a collapsed wall near Barcelona on Tuesday, killing the driver and leaving 37 passengers injured, four of them critically, in a shocking accident that has shaken Catalonia.
The crash happened in Gelida, a town on the outskirts of Barcelona, as emergency crews rushed to the scene. Firefighters confirmed that no passengers were trapped, but the chaotic aftermath left the community reeling.
“It appears the retaining wall gave way onto the tracks, causing the train to collide,” said Claudi Gallardo of Catalonia’s fire service. Teams are now combing the site to ensure no one else was caught in the wreckage.
The accident comes just two days after Spain’s deadliest rail disaster in years, when two high-speed trains collided in Andalucía, leaving at least 42 people dead and dozens more injured. The nation is now grappling with back-to-back tragedies on its railways.
Twenty ambulances and 38 firefighting units responded immediately to the scene, working through the night to care for the injured. Four passengers are reported in critical condition, as authorities continue to investigate the cause.
Spain’s railway operator, Adif, suggested that recent heavy rains in Catalonia may have caused the retaining wall to collapse, sending the train off course.
The derailment adds to growing concerns about underfunded rail infrastructure and recurring safety problems across the region.
Meanwhile, emergency services continue to search the wreckage from Sunday’s deadly Andalucía crash, as Spain observes three days of national mourning.
For a nation still reeling from one rail disaster, the Barcelona accident is a grim reminder of the fragile state of Spain’s railways — and the human cost when tragedy strikes.
Image: X (Twitter)
