Marrakech – Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch had a phone call today with Spanish counterpart, Pedro Sánchez, to offer condolences following Spain’s tragic train accidents that left multiple casualties and injuries.
In a Facebook post, Akhannouch stated he “presented condolences from the Moroccan government following the painful train accidents that caused deaths” and expressed “complete sympathy with victims and their families” during the call.
According to the statement, the conversation provided an opportunity to reaffirm “the distinguished level of friendship and cooperation relations between both countries” and the bilateral strategic partnership overseen by King Mohammed VI and King Felipe VI.
The call comes one day after King Mohammed VI sent a message of condolences and compassion to Spain’s sovereigns following the Adamuz train derailment. The monarch addressed his message to King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia after learning about the collision of two high-speed trains in the Adamuz region with deep emotion and affliction.
A tragic week for Spain
Spain experienced two deadly train crashes within three days. The first incident occurred Sunday night near Adamuz in Córdoba, southern Spain, where two high-speed trains collided. At least 43 people died, and 152 were injured in one of Spain’s worst rail accidents in over a decade.
The second crash happened Tuesday evening near Barcelona when a commuter train derailed after a retaining wall collapsed onto the tracks near Gelida. A 27-year-old trainee driver named Fernando Huerta from Seville was killed, and 41 people were injured, five critically.
Heavy rainfall in Catalonia contributed to the wall collapse that caused the Barcelona-area derailment. Emergency responders evacuated injured passengers to nearby hospitals, including Moisès Broggi, Bellvitge, and Vilafranca.
Spain’s rail network faced scrutiny following the accidents. The train drivers’ union Semaf called an indefinite strike demanding safety assurances and criminal liability from infrastructure safety officials. Catalonia’s entire Rodalies commuter network was suspended for safety inspections, affecting approximately 400,000 commuters.
Transport Minister Óscar Puente stressed the two accidents were completely unrelated incidents.