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Train chauffeur, security authorities founded guilty over Spain's worst train crash in decades

A Spanish train chauffeur and a. former traffic safety chief at national rail infrastructure. operator ADIF were sentenced on Friday to twoandahalf years. in jail over a train catastrophe that eliminated 79 people 11 years. ago.

In Spain's worst rail accident in years, an. eight-carriage, high-speed Alvia 04155 train veered off the. track on a sharp bend near the northwestern city of Santiago de. Compostela, slammed into a concrete wall and burst into flames. Another 143 individuals were hurt in the 2013 crash.

Administering judge Elena Fernandez Curras stated two components. caused the derailment: the motorist got distracted when receiving. a call, and there was no security system in location in case the. chauffeur did not respect the speed limit.

The offenders and the insurance companies of ADIF and Renfe. were sentenced to pay 25 million euros ($ 27.14 million) in. damages to the victims in the civil part of the trial.

After the crash, ADIF recognized more than 300 areas on the. Spanish train network where speed changes were required.

The judicial investigation into the crash was complex and. took years, and the trial ran for 10 months. Only two of more. than 20 people investigated were eventually prosecuted.

Fernandez revised down the main death toll to 79 from 80. as she considered one of the guests, who passed away weeks. after the crash, died as an outcome of a severe health problem he was. experiencing, and not the injuries. His family members will still. be compensated as he was injured in the crash.

(source: Reuters)