There are still many questions remaining after Thursday’s horrific train crash in Spain, which left 78 people dead and over 140 injured. The government is hoping to get answers as soon as possible and have detained the driver.
The crash occurred near Santiago de Compostela, when a train from Madrid to Ferrol was trying to make a curve in the tracks. Surveillance footage showed the train clearly going to0 fast and it began to derail as it approached the curve. In the immediate aftermath, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy declared three days of mourning nationwide.
According to CNN, a Galician regional government spokeswoman did confirm that the death toll is currently at 78, but that could climb to 80. Among the dead is Ana-Maria Cordoba of Arlington, Virginia. Deputy State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said that there were five American citizens injured in the crash.
In total, 81 people are still hospitalized, including 31 in critical condition. Among the 31 in critical condition is three children.
Only 72 of the dead have been identified and police Superintendent Antonio del Amo told the press Friday that the unidentified remains will go to Madrid for DNA testing.
The Associated Press confirms that Francisco Jose Garzon Amo, the driver, is currently detained at the hospital where he is recovering from his injuries. Jaime Iglesias, the National Police chief of the Galicia region, said he will be questioned “as a suspect for a crime linked to the cause of the accident.”
An American passenger told the AP that he saw a monitor showing that the train hit 194 kph (121 mph) before the crash, well over the 80 kph (50 mph) speed limit as it reached the curve.
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