77 dead after train derails, splits apart in Spain

By Al Goodman, Elwyn Lopez, Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN

July 25, 2013 -- Updated 0939 GMT (1739 HKT)

Madrid (CNN) -- An express train derailed as it hurtled around a curve in northwestern Spain on Wednesday, killing at least 77 people and injuring more than 100, officials said.

At least 73 people died at the scene, and four others died while hospitalized, said María Pardo Ríos, spokeswoman for the Galicia regional supreme court. In Spain, judges typically record deaths that take place outside of hospitals.

Judicial teams are still at the crash site and expect to find more bodies, she told CNN Thursday morning. There is no word yet on the nationalities of those killed.

More than 20 injured victims remained in critical condition early Thursday, said Agustin Hernandez Fernandez of the Galicia infrastructure ministry.

Flames burst out of one train car as another car was snapped in half, following the crash. Rescue crews and fellow passengers pulled out bodies through broken windows and pried open doors as stunned survivors looked on.

The state railway, Renfe, said the train crashed on a curve several kilometers from the train station in the city of Santiago de Compostela.

The train had 218 passengers aboard and was nearing the end of a six-hour trip from Madrid to the town of Ferrol in northwest Spain when it derailed at 8:41 p.m., Wednesday, the railway said.

It was unclear how fast the train was traveling when it crashed. It was capable of going up to 250 kilometers per hour (155 mph), said Julio Hermida, spokesman for the state railway.

The train driver, who suffered minor injuries, told police he had entered the bend too fast, Spain's public service TV network TVE reported.

Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy viewed the scene of devastation Thursday morning. He is also expected to visit the injured in hospital, TVE said.

Rajoy, who is from the area, expressed his condolences to those affected by the accident via Twitter.

Alberto Nunez Feijoo, head of the regional government in Galicia, declared seven days of mourning for victims of the train tragedy, TVE reported.

A passenger who got off at the last stop before the train derailed told the broadcaster it was packed with people at the time.

Residents who lived near the tracks told the Voz de Galicia newspaper that they heard a thunderous bang when the train crashed. Many of them rushed to the area with blankets and bottled water for the injured, the newspaper reported.

"The train had broken in half. Some pieces were on top, some pieces were on the bottom," said Ivette Rubiera Cabrera of Florida, who caught a glimpse of the wreckage while on a family vacation in Spain and sent photos to CNN's iReport.

"It was quite shocking," she said. "We had never seen anything like that. We had just been on the train last week."

Oscar Mateos told Spain's El Pais newspaper that he saw fellow passengers thrown to the floor, then tossed from one side of the train to the other.

"Help came in five minutes, but that time became an eternity," he said. "I helped people get out with broken legs and many bruises."

Alen Perez, 16, said he had been walking nearby and saw passengers helping each other out of the train.

Emergency vehicles swarmed the scene. There were several bodies on the ground, he said.

Photos he took of the crash site showed mangled pieces of a train car and black smoke billowing out of the wreckage.

Investigators are looking at all possible causes of the crash, a senior aide to the prime minister said Wednesday. Their initial assessment indicates it probably wasn't an act of terrorism.

Renfe's spokesman said he did not know how many crew members were aboard the train when it crashed. Normally there would be at least five crew members on a train like that, he said.

Firefighters, police and psychologists were at the scene, the Galicia government said in a statement. In Twitter posts, officials said blood donations were needed as a result of the crash.

Spain's train infrastructure authority said it was investigating.

The crash occurred shortly before a large annual celebration was set to start in Santiago de Compostela, a popular tourist destination. Local officials canceled festivities planned for Wednesday night and Thursday.

UK Foreign Secretary William Hague said his thoughts were with the victims and their families. One British citizen was injured in the accident, he said.