Ten foreigners died in Spain crash

A legal body composed of police and forensics experts confirmed on Sunday that ten foreign citizens were among the 69 people killed in last week's high-speed train collision in Spain. The group included four Americans, along with one each from Canada, Japan, Argentina, Mexico, Tunisia, and the Czech Republic.

The identification process has been slow, with forensics teams sometimes working from individual body parts. This delay has forced relatives to wait anxiously for news. The authorities had previously announced the deaths of a French and a Portuguese citizen, as well as 54 Spaniards.

The statement noted that all but three of the victims are now identified. Three reports for missing persons remain active, concerning two Australians and one Japanese citizen. The legal body said it was awaiting the arrival of families who wished to travel to Spain for in-person identification.

The crash occurred when a Renfe service struck the back of a stationary Iryo train outside the village of Urda. Urda is located about 130 kilometers south of Madrid. The collision happened after an automatic safety system failure halted trains on a 63-kilometer stretch of track, yet a control center authorized the Renfe service to continue.

This incident marks Spain's second high-speed train collision this year. A previous crash in Andalusia in January killed 46 people. The new disaster raises questions about rail safety as the country approaches its general election on November 29. Socialist leader Pedro Sánchez is running for a fourth term in what polls currently show as a challenging race.