Torre del Bierzo rail disaster | |
---|---|
Details | |
Date | 3 January 1944 13:20 CET (UTC+01:00) |
Location | Torre del Bierzo, Spain |
Line | Madrid to A Coruña |
Operator | RENFE |
Incident type | Collision in tunnel |
Cause | Brake failure |
Statistics | |
Trains | 3 |
Deaths | 78 (official) 100 (most recent estimate) |
The Torre del Bierzo rail disaster occurred on 3 January 1944 near the village of Torre del Bierzo in the El Bierzo region of Spain's León province when three trains collided and caught fire inside a tunnel. Although the official death toll was 78, and at the time it was estimated to be 200–250, the most recent study has estimated it at no more than 100.[1]