BARCELONA, Spain, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Two separate trains derailed in Spain's northeastern region of Catalonia on Tuesday, killing one driver and injuring at least 20 people, five of them seriously, local media reported.
According to Catalan emergency services, one of the accidents occurred on the R4 suburban line near the town of Gelida in Barcelona province, where a retaining wall alongside the railway line suddenly collapsed as a train was passing. The collapse caused the train to derail and damaged the driver's cab. Regional media confirmed that the driver was killed.
Following dozens of emergency calls, regional civil protection authorities activated the Ferrocat emergency plan. Emergency services dispatched 11 ambulances and a fire brigade unit to the scene. Preliminary assessments suggested that heavy rainfall in recent days may have led to the collapse of the retaining wall.
Authorities said a command center would be set up at a football field in Sant Sadurni d'Anoia. Rail traffic on the affected section was suspended, and Spain's national rail operator Renfe said alternative road transport was being arranged.
A second derailment occurred in Girona province between the stations of Blanes and Macanet-Massanes. Adif, Spain's state-owned railway infrastructure manager, said storm conditions caused rocks to fall onto the tracks, leading to the loss of an axle and the subsequent derailment.
Renfe said 10 people were on board the second train and that no injuries had been reported. The RG1 line was temporarily halted between Tordera and Macanet-Massanes. Other services in the area may experience delays as Adif technicians continue work at the site.
Both incidents occurred as severe weather hit Spain's Mediterranean coast. The State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) and the Meteorological Service of Catalonia (Meteocat) have warned of a significant storm in the region from Saturday through Wednesday, with the Catalan coastline at the center of the impact.
The accidents came two days after a deadly high-speed train crash near Adamuz in southern Spain, which killed at least 42 people and injured more than 100. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Monday announced three days of official mourning following that crash.
