Front clash between trains near Barcelona: a machinist has died and about 100 wounded

A machinist died, three people were seriously injured, 16 others less, 76 light and a hundred unscathed from the frontal crash between two trains in the Bages region. The dead machinist was 26, sources told the Interior Ministry of the Generalitat.

The accident was recorded at 18:30 at the altitude of Castellgali, following a collision between a regional train R12 line Lleida-Hospitalet and another serving the R4 between Tarrbada and Manressa .

The Minister of the Territory of the Generalitat, Damià Calvet, mentioned as possible cause of the accident a problem of signaling "in the automatism that should prevent a train from rolling in the opposite way" and perhaps also to a problem of manual systems.

In statements to Ser Catalunya collected by Europa Press, he explained that one of the two trains collided had circulated "in contravia".

Whatever the case may be, Renfe and Adif have announced the opening of an investigation to determine the causes of the accident. In addition, the rail operator activated the badistance plan for victims and family members of the accident and allowed a telephone number to serve the affected people, the 900101020.

The accident forced the interruption of rail traffic on the line concerned. Renfe has set up alternative road transport for the travelers concerned.

Similarly, traffic on the C-55, which has between four and five kilometers of detention, has been cut back and forth by the relief services, and traffic is being diverted to C-16, according to Servei Català de Trànsit.