A TRAIN is strewn across tracks last night after it derailed in Spain - killing at least 77 people and injuring 141 more. All 13 carriages careered off the line and some caught fire. Passengers were crushed as the wagons piled on top of each other.
Today investigators were probing claims the express may have been going at more than TWICE the 50mph speed limit when it crashed on a bend.
The train, packed with 218 passengers, crashed two miles from Santiago de Compostela in North-West Spain. Many victims were on their way to a religious festival due to take place in the city today.
One British person has been injured the tragedy which occurred 8.40pm local time — 7.40pm UK time.
Last night scores of bodies were lined up covered by blankets as rescue workers clambered over the twisted metal to pull the injured to safety.
Television footage showed one man on top of an overturned carriage using an axe to smash windows to reach passengers trapped inside.
Officials in Galicia said 73 victims were found dead at the crash scene and another four died in hospital.
The train was travelling from Madrid to the port city of Ferrol when it jumped the track on a curve.
Passenger Richardo Montesco said: “It was going so quickly. It seems that on a curve the train started to twist and the wagons piled up one on top of the other. A lot of people were squashed on the bottom.
“We tried to squeeze out of the bottom of the wagons to get out and realised the train was burning. I was in the second wagon and there was fire... I saw corpses.”
Bodies were covered with blankets on the tracks as rescue teams used cranes to lift carriages.
Officials said it was too early to say what caused the tragedy — thought to be the worst rail disaster in Spain’s history.
Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, who was born in Santiago de Compostela, is to visit the site this morning.
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