Spanish Train Disaster Survivors Demand Action After String of Fatal Crashes

Survivors of Spain's most devastating train accidents are calling for urgent action to prevent further tragedies, following a series of recent disasters. Cristobal Gonzalez, who sustained severe injuries in the 2013 Angrois train crash, one of Europe's worst rail disasters, stated, "I survived but the mental scars are still there all these years later. We must stop more accidents happening." The 2013 accident near Santiago de Compostela, where a high-speed train derailed at excessive speed, killing 80 people, remains Spain's deadliest rail crash.

The urgency for safety improvements has been amplified by more recent incidents. On Wednesday, at least 69 people died when two trains collided near Urda, close to Toledo. This follows another fatal collision on the same line in Adamuz, near Cordoba, just 10 months prior, which claimed the lives of 46 people.

"Now we have seen three dreadful crashes in Spain, at Angrois, Adamuz and Urda. They will keep happening if we do not act," Gonzalez told Al Jazeera. He attributed the Angrois crash to excessive speed, the Adamuz crash to track issues, and the Urda crash to potential human error combined with control system problems. "Whatever, we must stop these crashes happening by investing more in safety," he urged.

Gonzalez, a 64-year-old retired army captain, continues to battle post-traumatic stress from the Angrois incident. He described the harrowing experience of being in the front carriage when the train derailed, flying off the tracks and hitting a bank, and his efforts to assist others in their final moments.

Santiago Rosendo, a passenger on the Renfe train involved in the Adamuz crash in January, recounted the