Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente has resigned from his post, exactly six days after a catastrophic train derailment on October 28 claimed 69 lives and injured dozens more, marking Spain's deadliest rail disaster since 2013 and one of the worst in modern European history.
Puente announced his resignation on Tuesday evening, November 3, 2026, following a tense parliamentary accountability session in Madrid. Alongside stepping down as transport minister, he also withdrew his name from the candidate lists for the upcoming November 29 snap general election. Explaining his decision, Puente stated, "As transport minister of a country like Spain, it is impossible to remain in office after two such catastrophic accidents in less than a year." He referenced an earlier rail disaster in January that had resulted in 46 fatalities on the same network.
Read nextPresident Donald Trump Acknowledges Iran War Impact on Republican Midterm SetbacksThe disaster had triggered fierce nationwide outrage and immediate calls for his resignation from the conservative People's Party (PP), the far-right Vox party, and several government allies, who accused the ministry of failing to ensure high-speed rail safety and attempting to deflect blame onto human error. Even Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez acknowledged that public trust in the railway system had fractured. Coming just weeks before the snap general election, Puente's departure is seen as a severe political blow to Prime Minister Sánchez's Socialist administration.
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Reported by International Desk • Edited by the Daily Best News desk. Send corrections to [email protected].
