Madrid, Oct 31. (dpa/GNA) – The identities of 36 people killed in a high-speed train collision in Spain last week have been ascertained following autopsies, authorities in the region of Castile-La Mancha announced on Saturday.
All 69 bodies recovered have undergone autopsies at the Institute of Forensic Medicine in the provincial capital of Toledo, south of Madrid, the regional authorities announced.
The identities of 36 fatalities from the accident early on Wednesday have now been conclusively established, and the families of 27 victims have been notified, officials said.
Authorities have asked relatives of missing passengers to provide DNA samples to speed up the identification process.
Meanwhile, around 50 relatives and friends are still waiting for news about their loved ones at a support centre in Toledo. Nearly 30 psychologists are reported to be providing assistance.
The accident occurred when a high-speed train collided with a stationary train near the municipality of Urda in the province of Toledo, around 130 kilometres south of Madrid.
The railway line between Madrid and Andalusia remains closed in both directions.
Of the approximately 200 injured passengers, 34 are still receiving treatment in four hospitals, with 15 of them in intensive care.
Their condition is improving “relatively well,” Emiliano GarcÃa-Page, president of the Castile-La Mancha regional government, said.
The failure of the LZB train protection system and possible errors in decision-making at Madrid’s railway control centre are at the heart of the investigation.
Radio recordings published by the media suggest that the driver of the Renfe train was instructed by a member of staff at the Madrid control centre to resume normal operations, even though the LZB system was still out of service and the other train remained on the track.
GNA