"It was a regular Sunday afternoon. Many Spaniards were following week 20 of LaLiga, the famous soccer league. Barcelona was playing that night. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) UNIDENTIFIED ANNOUNCER: Goal (vocalizing). (SOUNDBITE OF HIGH-PITCHED RHYTHMIC BEEPING) MACIAS: That's sound from Cadena SER radio. But then, the soccer play-by-play was interrupted by breaking news. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER #1: (Speaking Spanish)."
"The national public television had the death toll at 24 at the time, but it was still rising. Some things were ruled out right away. It wasn't excessive speed. It wasn't old trains in disrepair. It wasn't human error of any kind. Officials called the accident tremendously strange, especially as the trains which collided were on a straight, parallel section of track."
On a Sunday when many Spaniards were following LaLiga, live broadcasts were interrupted by breaking news of a deadly train collision. The crash, later confirmed to have killed 46 people, involved two trains colliding on a straight, parallel section of track. Initial counts showed at least 24 deaths and the toll rose steadily. Officials quickly ruled out excessive speed, aging equipment, and human error, calling the collision tremendously strange. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said determining causes would take time. Survivors continue to struggle, investigators continue probing, and train conductors are staging a three-day strike demanding improved rail safety.
Read at www.npr.org
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