Reuters reveals the discovery of a broken joint on one of the tracks in the Adamuz accident

This afternoon, the hypotheses about the causes of the terrible train accident in Adamuz have taken a turn due to a discovery on one of the tracks.

Adamuz, an accident not so “strange” if we see a photo shared by Óscar Puente
Information about the tragic accident involving two derailed trains in Adamuz

“The faulty joint created a gap between the rail sections that widened as trains continued to travel on the track”

At 7:13 p.m. CET, the British news agency Reuters published a report with the headline: "Exclusive: Investigators find broken joint on track at Spanish rail crash site, source says." The report states that experts investigating the crash site "found a broken joint on the rails, according to a source briefed on initial investigations into the disaster."

"Technicians on site analysing the rails identified some wear on the joint between sections of the rail, known as a fishplate, which they said showed the fault had been there for some time," the source said, Reuters reports.

The report from this agency adds: "They found that the faulty joint created a gap between the rail sections that widened as trains continued to travel on the track. The source, who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the issue, said the technicians believe the faulty joint is key to identifying the precise cause of the accident." The report also notes: "The first carriages of the train operated by Spanish firm Iryo drove over the gap in the rails, but the eighth, and last, carriage derailed, bringing with it the seventh and sixth carriages, the person said."

The Ministry of Transport, the CIAF and ADIF do not respond to Reuters

The British agency has indicated that the Ministry of Transport, the Spanish Railway Accident Investigation Commission (CIAF) -which reports to the aforementioned Ministry, headed by the socialist Óscar Puente-, and ADIF, the state-owned company responsible for this railway infrastructure, have not responded to Reuters' requests for comment. Reuters is one of the world's leading news agencies. This afternoon, Óscar Puente had announced: "I will address the media in an orderly fashion throughout today and at least tomorrow morning. I will provide as much information as possible."

A photo from the Civil Guard and two Spanish media outlets corroborate what was revealed by Reuters

This information corresponds to this photo published by the Civil Guard and disseminated this afternoon by the Spanish digital newspaper The Objective. Furthermore, at 5:06 PM, El Mundo published a news item that coincides with the Reuters report: "The investigation into the Adamuz train accident focuses on a track failure as the cause of the accident".

This news report states: "Technicians present at the scene of the accident claim that the welding failure could have led to a track break due to traffic and weather conditions. The break is what may have derailed the last cars of the Frecciarossa 1000, which was traveling at over 200 kilometers per hour, causing them to cross into the oncoming track."

Además, esta tarde a las 19:54h CET, el diario Abc ha publicado: "El raíl número 23117 saltó e hizo descarrilar al tren Iryo en el trágico accidente de Adamuz, en Córdoba". La información señala: "La rotura de una soldadura de la vía en el kilómetro 318,7, concretamente la L-10717 número 23117 en su paso por Adamuz (Córdoba), es la causa del descarrilamiento del tren Iryo 6189 según han corroborado los investigadores y ha podido saber ABC". Este medio añade: "Los expertos trabajan ahora en esclarecer los motivos de esta fractura. Los agentes del Equipo Central de Inspecciones Oculares de Criminalistíca de la Guardia Civil han tomado las imágenes en las que se advierte la fractura de la soldadura en el citado kilómetro. Un vacío que desvela ese trozo del raíl desgajado justo en la zona afectada y que es el motivo del descarrilamiento".

Furthermore, this afternoon at 7:54 p.m. CET, the newspaper ABC published: "Rail number 23117 jumped and derailed the Iryo train in the tragic accident in Adamuz, Córdoba." The report states: "A weld failure in the track at kilometer 318.7, specifically on track L-10717 number 23117 as it passes through Adamuz (Córdoba),is the cause of the derailment of the Iryo 6189 train, as confirmed by investigators and reported by ABC."

This publication adds: "Experts are now working to clarify the reasons for this fracture. Agents from the Central Team for Crime Scene Investigations of the Civil Guard have taken images showing the weld fracture at the aforementioned kilometer. A gap reveals the piece of rail that broke off in the affected area, which is the cause of the derailment."

The possible responsibility of the Ministry of Transport in the accident

These revelations would highlight the responsibility for the accident on the railway infrastructure, which is the responsibility of the State through the public company ADIF, which reports to the Ministry of Transport. This agency has been the subject of numerous criticisms due to the poor state of Spain's railway infrastructure, which has led to constant delays and other problems. Minister Óscar Puente has already been censured three times in the Spanish Parliament (Cortes Generales), twice in the Congress and once in the Senate, yet he has not resigned.

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Main photo: Guardia Civil.