La Voz de Galicia reports dozens of people have been killed in a train derailment outside Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
According to the newspaper, the high-speed commuter train derailed at 8:42 p.m. on a route traveling from Madrid to Ferrol. Conflicting reports have come out about the number of deaths involved in the accident.
WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES BELOW
Twitter users have uploaded several images of the wreck so far, showing the extent of the damage.
Descarrila un TREN EN SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA. pic.twitter.com/N11NXCzBkN
— Alén Pérez (@AlenPerz) July 24, 2013
Descarrila el AVE a la entrada de Santiago pic.twitter.com/rG3HYqdRz8
— Jacobo Vieites Pérez (@jacobovieites) July 24, 2013
Currently, emergency crews have put the highest priority on rescuing those trapped in the affected cars, which could be up to 13 people.
"There are so many dead here, my God!" a nearby neighbor told Radio Gallega. Another described the scene, saying it began with "a big explosion," followed by a destroyed train car traveling several meters. Mari, a nearby citizen, said she heard an enormous explosion, followed by a "torpedo of dust and sound."
Uno de los vagones acabó en una finca anexa. pic.twitter.com/cvHvqaXPYT
— Alén Pérez (@AlenPerz) July 24, 2013
According to passenger accounts given to La Voz de Galicia, the train, which held 225 passengers, was traveling at high speed around a curve when one car jumped its tracks, surging beyond the slope that separates other tracks. But despite the reported smoke and fires in several cars, passengers noted there was no explosion.
UPDATE 5:08 p.m.:
Reuters reports the death toll has reached 35.
This is a breaking news story. Stay tuned for more updates as they become available.
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