Canadian national, 4 Americans among 69 dead in Spain train collision – National

A Canadian and four Americans were among the 69 people killed in last week’s high-speed train collision in Spain, authorities said.

So far, 66 of the dead have been identified, authorities said late Sunday.

Most of those killed — 54 of the 69 victims — were Spanish nationals. The crash took place last Wednesday when a high-speed train slammed into another that had stopped on the tracks.

Other foreigners among the fatalities who have been identified include one each from France, Japan, Argentina, Mexico, Portugal, Tunisia and the Czech Republic.

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Spain tries to grapple with deadly train collision; officials confirm 69 deaths

Authorities said they have three bodies still to identify and three people reported missing — two Australians and one Japanese.

The crash in the province of Toledo came just nine months after another collision farther south on the same Madrid-Seville line killed 46 people. The collisions have shaken confidence in the Spanish rail network that has long been hailed for its speed and safety.

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Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has pledged an investigation and improvements to restore trust in the system that carried some 45 million travelers last year, including millions of tourists.

The crash happened one month before a Nov. 29 general election in which Sánchez is seeking to extend his eight-year premiership. He is now facing questions about the safety of the railways and investments under his governments in Spanish infrastructure.