Drier Weather for Deadly Spain Train Crash Cleanup

By Kristina Pydynowski, Senior Meteorologist

July 25,2013; 6:40PM,EDT

 

 

After a dreary Thursday morning, drier weather will aid recovery and cleanup efforts for what has been deemed Spain's deadliest train accident in decades.
At least 78 people are dead and 141 injured after a train traveling from Madrid to El Ferrol crashed on a curve outside of Santiago de Compostela, in far northwestern Spain.
Investigators are now trying to determine why the trail derailed at 8:41 p.m. CEST (2:41 p.m. EDT) Wednesday and sent eight railroad cars crashing into each other, according to the Associated Press.
While dry weather and no obstruction to visibility was reported at the nearby Santiago de Compostela Airport at 8:30 p.m. CEST Wednesday, drizzle was dampening the airport and visibility lowered to 2.8 km (1.75 miles) at 9:00 p.m.
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Another round of drizzle followed late Thursday morning as recovery and cleanup efforts continued.
Cranes were brought to the scene Thursday morning to lift the railroad cars off the tracks after rescue workers spent Wednesday night searching through the wreckage.

Rail personnel and firefighters inspect derailed cars at the site of a train accident in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, on Thursday, July 25, 2013. (AP Photo/ Lalo Villar)
The dreary start to Thursday will be followed by the return of some sunshine and drier weather for the afternoon. The dry conditions will persist through Friday before a spotty shower returns for Saturday.
Temperatures both Thursday and Friday will rise to around 22-23 degrees C (lower 70s F).
A total of 218 passengers were aboard the Alvia 730 series train when it derailed Wednesday night.
The Associated Press reports that the crash was Spain's deadliest train accident since 1972, when 86 people died and 112 were injured when a train collided with a bus in southwestern Spain.
A terrorist attack has been ruled out as the cause of Wednesday evening's derailment.