Spain: More than 30 killed in train crash

At least 30 people were reported to have been killed today when a subway train derailed in the eastern Spanish city of Valencia.

A spokeswoman for Valencia emergency services department confirmed there were “several deaths,” and added that it was “a serious incident with an important number of deaths”.

At least 250 police and 20 firefighters were reported to be at Valencia subway site as bodies were still trapped in tunnel.

The town spokeswoman said one compartment of the train derailed when it was leaving Jesus station in central Valencia.

Dozens of people were evacuated from the station.

An unnamed Valencia official has blamed excess speed and broken wheel for subway crash, EFE news agency reports.

The accident comes as hundreds of thousands of people began travelling to Valencia for this week’s World Meeting of the Families which will be attended at the weekend by Pope Benedict XVI.