7-day mourning declared as Spain train crash death toll reaches 78

PanARMENIAN.Net - Seven days of mourning have been declared in the Galicia region of Spain, where at least 78 people were killed in the passenger train derailment on Wednesday, July 24, BBC News reported.

More than 140 were hurt, 20 seriously, after all eight carriages of the Madrid to Ferrol train came off the tracks near Santiago de Compostela.

Media reports say the train may have been travelling at more than twice the speed limit around a curve. It is the worst train crash in Spain since 1944.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who was born in Santiago de Compostela, has arrived at the scene of the accident.

"I want to express my affection and solidarity with the victims of the terrible train accident in Santiago," Rajoy said earlier.

The black box of the train is now with the judge in charge of the investigation.

The president of railway firm Renfe, Julio Gomez Pomar, has said the train in the crash had no technical problems.

"The train had passed an inspection that same morning. Those trains are inspected every 7,500km... Its maintenance record was perfect," he told Spanish radio.