Spain’s transport minister resigns after 115 rail deaths

Spain’s transport minister, Óscar Puente, announced his resignation on November 3 after two deadly rail crashes killed 115 people in less than a year. He also said he would withdraw from the November 29 general election, where he was expected to lead the Socialist Workers’ Party’s list in Valladolid. Puente made the announcement to lawmakers at the end of a parliamentary hearing about the October 28 collision near Urda, in Toledo province. The crash killed 69 people. He said the latest accident and a January disaster in Adamuz, Andalusia, made it untenable for him to remain in office, whether or not he bore direct responsibility. The timing of his departure from the ministry was not specified. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo would temporarily take responsibility for railways. Sánchez praised Puente’s decision and said Cuerpo would continue reforms already begun by the departing minister. The January crash killed 46 people on the Madrid-Seville rail corridor. Investigations into the crashes have not established their causes. In the Urda collision, a train operated by state-owned Renfe struck a stationary train belonging to private operator Iryo....