Dozens die as Spanish train derails in Galicia
Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.
Continue reading the main story Related Stories
A train has derailed in north-western Spain, killing at least 45 people and injuring many more, officials in the Galicia region have said.
All 13 carriages of the train, which was travelling from Madrid to Ferrol, came off the tracks near the city of Santiago de Compostela.
Images from the scene showed bodies strewn near ruined carriages, and emergency crews searching the wreckage.
Analysts say it is the worst rail accident in Spain in four decades.
Leader of the regional government Alberto Nunez Feijoo confirmed the death toll but told radio Cadena Ser that it was too early to say what caused the accident.
"There are bodies lying on the railway track. It's a Dante-esque scene," he said in comments translated by the AFP news agency.
Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy convened an emergency ministerial meeting late on Wednesday and is due to visit the scene of the accident on Thursday.
"I want to express my affection and solidarity with the victims of the terrible train accident in Santiago," Mr Rajoy said on his Twitter account.
Local authorities have issued an appeal for residents to donate blood to hospitals in the area.
About 320 members of Spain's national police force have been deployed in response to the train derailment, officials say.
One witness, Ricardo Montesco, described how the train carriages "piled on top of one another" after the train hit a curve, speaking to Spanish Cadena Ser radio station.
"A lot of people were squashed on the bottom. We tried to squeeze out of the bottom of the wagons to get out and we realised the train was burning...I was in the second wagon and there was fire. I saw corpses," he added.
At least 45 people have been killed and dozens injured after a train derailed in the Galicia region of Spain The train was travelling from Madrid to Ferrool when it derailed near the city of Santiago de Compostela Regional government leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo described the scene as "Dante-esque" Over 300 Spanish police officers have been deployed in response to the derailment in Galicia Continue reading the main story previous slide next slide
The BBC's Tom Burridge in Madrid says Thursday is a local holiday in the region, and many people would have been preparing to celebrate.
However, festivities planned for Thursday have now been cancelled, local official Maria Pardo told Spanish television.
Local journalist Francisco Camino said the region was in shock.
"This is a tiny place and nothing happens here, nothing important or tragic," he told the BBC.
Continue reading the main story Spanish train crashes August 2006: Inter-city train derails in Villada, in the province of Palencia, killing six people and injuring dozens more.
July 2006: At least 43 people killed in a metro train crash in the eastern Spanish city of Valencia.
June 2003: At least 19 people killed and some 40 injured in a head-on train collision near Chinchilla in Albacete province.
March 2002: Two express trains collide outside Tarragona, in Catalonia, killing four people and injuring more than 80.
"We were preparing for the celebrations and now this could turn out to be the worst train crash in many years."
Railway firm Renfe said the train was carrying at least 218 passengers, and came off the tracks on a bend about 3km (two miles) from Santiago de Compostela station.
It was on the express route between Madrid and the ship-building city of Ferrol on the Galician coast.
Images showed dozens of emergency workers crowded around ruined carriages.
Passengers were shown lying on the ground being treated, and there were several bodies near the tracks.
Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7624 800 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here.
Read the terms and conditions
'''24 lipca 2013, około godziny 20:41 w okolicach hiszpańskiego miasta Santiago de Compostela doszło do katastrofy pociągu pasażerskiego dużych prędkości. Jak podały władze lokalne nie żyje 78 osób.'''

To najbardziej tragiczny wypadek kolejowy w Hiszpanii od 70 lat. 

Pociąg hiszpańskich kolei RENFE Talgo 250 (RENFE 730) liczący 13 wagonów jadący z Madrytu do Ferrol wypadł z torów na północnych obrzeżach Santiago de Compostela. Ekspresem podróżowało 238 pasażerów oraz obsługa pociągu. Z torów wypadły wszystkie wagony składu.

Przyczyną katastrofy mogła być nadmierna prędkość. Do katastrofy doszło na łuku, na którym dozwolona prędkość wynosi 80 km/godz. Pociąg jechał z prędkością co najmniej 150 km/godzinę. Premier Hiszpanii Mariano Rajoy zwołał w trybie natychmiastowym specjalne posiedzenie rządu, zdecydował się 
się też wprowadzić trzydniową żałobę narodową.

Polski premier Donald Tusk przesłał na ręce szefa hiszpańskiego rządu Mariano Rajoya kondolencje w związku z katastrofą kolejową.



Natomiast prezydent Bronisław Komorowski przesłał kondolencje królowi Juanowi Carlosowi.