SPANISH TRAIN KILLS 12 ON TRACKS NEAR BARCELONA
Baku June 24 (AZERTAC). A high-speed train passing through a Spanish railway station has hit a group of young people crossing the tracks, killing at least 12 people. The train was travelling through Castelldefels Playa station near Barcelona when the incident occurred. At least 14 other people were injured, three critically, officials said. It is believed they were heading to the beach to celebrate a summer festival and were crossing the tracks rather than using a pedestrian underpass. They had just arrived on a commuter train from Barcelona.
The authorities have said the underpass was signposted and open. The ministry added that the rail line was closed and teams of police, medical staff, firefighters and Red Cross workers were at the scene. No-one on the high-speed train, travelling between Alicante and Barcelona, was hurt. Although the identities of the victims are not yet known, the president of the government of Catalonia said there were "many of South American origin". Hundreds of mostly young people had been gathering at a nearby beach to mark St John`s Day, the celebrations for which traditionally begin the night before. The accident was Spain`s worst rail accident since 2003, when 19 people were killed when two trains collided near the central town of Chinchilla.
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