MADRID: Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente announced his resignation on Tuesday after two deadly train crashes in less than a year, including one that killed 69 people and injured more than 200.
Puente told lawmakers he decided to step down shortly after the October 28 collision on the high-speed railway connecting Madrid and Andalusia.
Authorities attributed the crash to a combination of human and computer errors. A train operated by Spain’s national rail service struck a stationary train after a safety system failure had halted rail traffic.
Puente previously questioned why controllers allowed the train to proceed despite a red signal prohibiting movement. The disaster followed another deadly railway accident in January, when two high-speed trains collided near Adamuz, killing at least 41 people.
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Opposition politicians and transport workers’ unions demanded Puente’s resignation after the latest collision. Protesters also gathered outside the transport ministry headquarters, where some clashed with police.
Several demonstrators demanded that Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez step down. Puente told lawmakers that a transport minister could not remain in office after two accidents of such severity, regardless of direct responsibility.
Sánchez praised the departing minister on social media, saying he had stepped aside “out of respect for the victims and the progressive project”.
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Puente’s resignation comes before early general elections called by Sánchez after corruption scandals, housing affordability concerns and electoral setbacks for his Socialist party.
The departing minister also confirmed that he would not stand as a candidate in the upcoming election. Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente announced his resignation on November 3 after two deadly railway crashes in less than a year.
With additional input from CNN
