Japanese national confirmed dead in Spanish train crash

Authorities have confirmed that a Japanese national was among the 69 people killed in a high-speed train collision in central Spain last week, as efforts to identify three remaining victims continue.

Local authorities said Sunday that they had identified 66 of the 69 people killed in Wednesday’s collision near the municipality of Urda in the province of Toledo, including 54 Spanish nationals and 12 internationals. The Japanese victim’s name and other personal details have not been released.

The three remaining unidentified victims are believed to be foreign nationals, including one Japanese national and two Australians, according to media reports.

The Japanese government is aware that Spanish authorities identified one Japanese national among the victims and that another is believed to be among the unidentified victims, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said during a news conference Monday.

“The Japanese government is working closely with Spanish authorities to identify the victims and provide every possible assistance to their families,” Kihara said.

The crash occurred when a high-speed train operated by state-owned railway company Renfe struck the rear of a stationary train operated by private rail company Iryo. More than 100 people were injured.

The Spanish government notified Japan shortly after the accident that two Japanese nationals were on the passengers list for the trains involved in the fatal accident.

Of the 12 non-Spanish victims identified, four were Americans, while one each came from Argentina, Canada, the Czech Republic, France, Japan, Mexico, Portugal and Tunisia, according to Spain’s Integrated Data Center, which is coordinating information on the disaster.

Authorities identified 53 victims through fingerprint analysis and an additional 13 through DNA testing. The families of 60 victims had been notified as of Sunday.