Santiago de Compostela, Spain, Jul 25, 2013: Pope Francis is praying for the victims
and families of the 77 people who have died in a train derailment near the Spanish
pilgrimage city of Santiago de Compostela on Wednesday evening. During a July 24
evening press conference in Rio de Janeiro, the Vatican press office director, Father
Federico Lombardi, said the Pope has been informed of the tragic accident, which “deeply
moved” him and he is now praying for all the victims and their relatives. Fr. Lombardi
also asked the journalists present to observe one minute of silence for the victims
of Spain’s deadliest train crash since 1972. Cardinal Antonio María Rouco of Madrid,
who was the archbishop of the Santiago de Compostela for 10 years, called the Pope
to tell him the news because he felt terrible about it and “wanted to talk to the
Pope with all his heart,” Fr. Lombardi said. The current Archbishop of Santiago
de Compostela, Julián Barrio Barrio, said he is “shocked” at the horrific accident
and that it has left him “almost speechless.”In response, he is giving “all his support
to the families of the victims, in these difficult times” and is “raising up his prayers
for the deceased.” The city has also canceled the festivities for the Feast of
St. James, which is the most important feast of the year for the archdiocese and the
region. Maria Pardo Rios, spokeswoman for the Galicia region's main court, told the
Associated Press that 73 people were found dead at the scene of the accident and four
have died in hospitals. The numbered of injured is around 141 out of the 218 passengers. The
incident occurred at 8:41 p.m. on Wednesday evening when the train was about three
or four kilometers (2 miles) away from the Santiago de Compostela station, according
to a July 25 statement from the train operator Renfe. Spanish journalist Miguel-Anxo
Murado told the BBC’s John Humphrys that “the train driver admitted to going to fast,”
and explained that he was traveling more than double the speed limit for the stretch
of track he was on. The train’s speed sent its eight carriages careening off the
track so violently that some cars landed upside down and at least one was split in
half. (Source: CNA)