Recreation: July 2013

Monday 29 July 2013

Spanish train driver charged with 79 counts of homicide

Garzon is charged with 79 counts of homicide by professional recklessnessThe 79 killed will be memorialized at a cathedral in Santiago de Compostela on Monday eveningThey were killed after the train derailed Wednesday near the northwestern Spanish town

Santiago de Compostela, Spain (CNN) -- The 79 passengers who perished in last week's train crash in Spain will be memorialized together Monday night at a cathedral not far from where they were killed.

They came from near and far -- Europe, Latin America, the United States -- and had almost reached their destination of Ferrol on the northwestern coast when the train careened around a curve and derailed, hurling carriages into a concrete bridge support structure.

Five days have passed since the disaster, but many questions remain: What caused the train to derail? Was the train going too fast? And what did the conductor do in the moments before the crash?

The driver

The driver of the train, Francisco Jose Garzon, was charged Sunday with 79 counts of homicide by professional recklessness and an undetermined number of counts of causing injury by professional recklessness.

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A man leaves his cane next to candles in memory of the train crash victims, on Friday, July 26, in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. A spokeswoman for the Galician regional government told CNN that at least 79 people were confirmed dead.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":true,"x":6,"y":1,"pos":1,"title":"Deadly train crash in Spain"}

A woman looks on from a bridge where flowers were displayed in memory of the victims on July 26. The crash occurred on the eve of a public holiday, when more people than usual may have been traveling in the region. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":6,"y":1,"pos":2,"title":"Deadly train crash in Spain"}

An American woman died in the train crash and at least five other U.S. citizens were injured, a deputy spokeswoman for the State Department reported on July 26. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":6,"y":1,"pos":3,"title":"Deadly train crash in Spain"}

Injured people are evacuated at the site of the July 24 train accident. The driver of the train is under detention and is being investigated for a "crime," Spanish police said on July 26. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":6,"y":1,"pos":4,"title":"Deadly train crash in Spain"}

A car from an express train that crashed is lifted Thursday, July 25, at Angrois near Santiago de Compostela, Spain. The train derailed as it hurtled around a curve at high speed on Wednesday, July 24.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":6,"y":1,"pos":5,"title":"Deadly train crash in Spain"}

Emergency personnel work at the crash scene July 25. An investigation into the cause of the derailment is under way, but Spain's transportation minister says the train appears to have been going too fast.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":6,"y":1,"pos":6,"title":"Deadly train crash in Spain"}

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, center, visits the crash site July 25 with Public Works Minister Ana Pastor, right, and Alberto Nunez Feijoo, head of the regional government in Galicia. The latter declared seven days of mourning for victims of the crash. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":6,"y":1,"pos":7,"title":"Deadly train crash in Spain"}

A relative of one of the passengers waits to hear news in Santiago de Compostela as she talks on the phone July 25.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":6,"y":1,"pos":8,"title":"Deadly train crash in Spain"}

Other relatives of passengers wait for information in Santiago de Compostela on July 25.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":6,"y":1,"pos":9,"title":"Deadly train crash in Spain"}

Rescue workers inspect a carriage in the wreckage July 25.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":6,"y":1,"pos":10,"title":"Deadly train crash in Spain"}

A general view of the derailment in northwestern Spain on July 25.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":6,"y":1,"pos":11,"title":"Deadly train crash in Spain"}

Emergency workers at the derailment scene July 25.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":6,"y":1,"pos":12,"title":"Deadly train crash in Spain"}

Emergency personnel evacuate a man at the scene July 25.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":6,"y":1,"pos":13,"title":"Deadly train crash in Spain"}

Emergency workers help passengers July 25.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":6,"y":1,"pos":14,"title":"Deadly train crash in Spain"}

Women wait for news about crash victims in Santiago de Compostela on July 25.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":6,"y":1,"pos":15,"title":"Deadly train crash in Spain"}

Teams at the crash site July 25 expect to find more bodies, an official says.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":6,"y":1,"pos":16,"title":"Deadly train crash in Spain"}

The train was on its way from Madrid to the town of Ferrol with more than 200 passengers aboard. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":6,"y":1,"pos":17,"title":"Deadly train crash in Spain"}

Train driver Francisco Jose Garzon, identified by Spanish newspapers El Pais and El Mundo, is helped from the scene by a police officer.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":6,"y":1,"pos":18,"title":"Deadly train crash in Spain"}

The state railway company said the train derailed on a curve as it was approaching the train station in Santiago de Compostela.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":6,"y":1,"pos":19,"title":"Deadly train crash in Spain"}

Emergency workers climb on top of the wreckage as they help free injured passengers from the crash. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":6,"y":1,"pos":20,"title":"Deadly train crash in Spain"}

While it was unclear how fast the train was going at the time of the crash, it was capable of reaching up to 155 mph. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":6,"y":1,"pos":21,"title":"Deadly train crash in Spain"}

Rescuers work to pull victims from the derailed cars. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":6,"y":1,"pos":22,"title":"Deadly train crash in Spain"}

One person at the scene said he saw several passengers and witnesses helping get people out of the mangled cars. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":6,"y":1,"pos":23,"title":"Deadly train crash in Spain"}

Rescuers work to clear a derailed car. cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":6,"y":1,"pos":24,"title":"Deadly train crash in Spain"}

"The efforts now center on searching for bodies and victims that could still be alive in the wreckage of the cars," journalist Ignacio Carballo from the Voz de Galicia newspaper told CNN en Español.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":6,"y":1,"pos":25,"title":"Deadly train crash in Spain"}

Officials said blood donations were needed as a result of the crash.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length] = {"currentPicture":false,"x":6,"y":1,"pos":26,"title":"Deadly train crash in Spain"}

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Many have questioned how fast the train was traveling when its wheels left the track near Santiago de Compostela on Wednesday evening.

Interior Minister Jorge Fernandez Diaz told reporters Saturday there are "rational indications" that the crash was the fault of the driver. But pressed on what those are, he declined to provide details.

Police now have the data recorders from the train.

A somber task

Over the weekend, relatives of victims embarked on the grim but necessary task of picking up the luggage left behind.

A solemn parade of mourners wheeled bags away from the police station in Santiago de Compostela. The suitcases had been recovered from the wreckage scene, their owners either dead or badly injured.

About 70 people injured in the crash remained hospitalized Sunday, including 22 in serious condition, a representative for the regional health department said.

Identifying the bodies

At least 75 bodies have been identified, but it's unclear whether dozens of body parts belong to those accounted for or those yet to be identified.

The dead include at least 63 from Spain, said Maria Pardo Rios, spokewoman for the Galicia regional supreme court. Some of the other victims came from the United States, Latin America and Europe.

Myrta Fariza was one of the two Americans killed. She and her husband were on their way to a Catholic festival; He was injured and later released from the hospital.

"Myrta was our loving wife, mother, sister, mother-in-law, aunt and friend, and words cannot express our sense of loss," her family said in a statement. "To all who knew her, Myrta provided irreplaceable love, compassion, courage, friendship and support. We will miss her dearly."

Forensic experts said Saturday there are 37 body parts that must still be tested to see whether they belong to bodies that have already been identified, or to others not yet known.

Going too fast?

The driver of the train has said it was traveling about 190 kilometers per hour (120 mph), the Spanish news agency Efe and the national daily El Pais reported, citing sources within the investigation

But a spokeswoman for the national railway Renfe did not disclose the speed the train was traveling on an express track, where cars can go as fast as 250 kph. But she said the speed limit for the bend of track where the crash occurred is 80 kph.

Rafael Catala, secretary of state for transport and housing, told Spanish radio network Cadena SER that the "tragedy appears to be linked to the train going too fast" -- but that the reasons it was going so fast are not yet known.

The express passenger service was nearing the end of a six-hour trip from Madrid to the town of Ferrol, on the Atlantic coast, when the crash occurred, the state railway said.

Firefighter Miguel Angel Bello said the first four minutes after he arrived on the scene were a desperate race against time.

He and fellow firefighters smashed windows and kicked in doors to pull out the passengers trapped inside as rail cars went up in flames.

A young girl in the wreckage called out to him.

"She was under wreckage she said she wanted to get out and go home," he said. "But she died."

'It felt like a roller coaster'

Elder Stephen Ward of Utah was headed to the coastal Spanish town, ready to start a two-year Mormon religious mission.

The last thing he remembers from the train was flying sideways out of his seat.

"We had been going around some pretty sharp turns. We finally came to one more sharp turn, and the train, like, completely lifted up," he said. "It was leaning sideways. It felt like a roller coaster."

Ward, 18, blacked out when his car slammed on to its side, regaining consciousness only as he was being helped out of the train.

"I've got staples all over my scalp, I was covered in blood," he said. "They've scrubbed most of it off me now, but everyone was just covered in their own blood and occasionally the blood of others. It was gruesome to say the least."

Ward was discharged from the hospital Thursday, wearing a neck brace because of a cracked vertebra he suffered in the crash. Lacerations on his face are stapled shut, and there's a huge bruise on his leg.

Once he recovers, he plans to return to his missionary service.

CNN's Karl Penhaul reported from Santiago de Compostela and Holly Yan from Atlanta. CNN's Laura Perez Maestro, Catherine E. Shoichet, Mariano Castillo, Laura Smith-Spark, Al Goodman, Bob Hand and Jonathan Helman contributed to this report.

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July 26, 2013 -- Updated 0253 GMT (1053 HKT)

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Why I wouldn't want to be royal

Catherine has been closely watched throughout her pregnancy -- her new baby will be subject to similar scrutiny.All eyes have been on Duchess of Cambridge ahead of the birth of her first babyBritain's royal family is closely watched by the media and the publicSimon Hooper: New royal should be "first to embrace the cause of republicanism"Editor's note: Simon Hooper has worked as a journalist covering international news, politics and sports for websites and publications, including CNN, Al Jazeera, the New Statesman and Sports Illustrated.

London (CNN) -- As Britain segues seamlessly through feelgood summer heat from Andy Murray mania to royal baby euphoria, let us at least spare a thought for the unfortunate newborn caught, through no fault other than his ancestry, in the global spotlight.

No royal arrival has been so closely scrutinized since 1688 when Mary of Modena, wife of the widely disliked James II, gave birth watched by dozens of officials amid speculation that her pregnancy was a Catholic conspiracy intended to fabricate a male heir.

Even their presence was not enough to quash rumors that the child had been smuggled into the birthing chamber in a bedpan, and within months James had been deposed; his son was destined to spend his life in bitter exile in France and Rome.

At least the newborn prince and his parents are unlikely to be run out of the country, even if the flag-waving royalists celebrating the birth are hardly representative of a silent majority largely apathetic about the monarchy and more inclined to treat its modern incarnation as a publicly-subsidized soap opera largely staged for the amusement of American tourists.

'Wicked' author: Royal baby stands for hope

Nor did his mother suffer the indignity of having the home secretary in the vicinity of the delivery room, a custom for royal births only formally ended in 1948.

And there have undoubtedly been worse times in history to be born into one of Europe's great royal dynasties. Paris in 1789 springs to mind, or St. Petersburg in 1917.

The Windsors may have recovered some of their respectability after the nadir in their fortunes in the 1990s that culminated in the 1997 death of Princess Diana, thanks in no small part to the fairy-tale mega-wedding of William and Kate in 2011 and Oscar-winning propaganda such as "The Queen" and "The King's Speech."

To question the role of the monarchy and Britons' attachment to it is still to risk a public flogging from more reactionary sections of the British media, as author Hilary Mantel discovered when she found herself pilloried earlier this year for describing the Duchess of Cambridge as a "plastic princess designed to breed."

The resulting furore missed the point that Mantel was trying to make, which was that members of the royal family, however privileged and luxurious their lives, are essentially prisoners of their own circumstances, trapped by their supposed obligations to an archaic and largely redundant institution.

"Our current royal family doesn't have the difficulties in breeding that pandas do, but pandas and royal persons alike are expensive to conserve and ill-adapted to any modern environment. But aren't they interesting? Aren't they nice to look at?" said Mantel.

Opinion: Baby helps make a monarchy better

If Mantel's point was essentially true of Kate Middleton, who, like a mafia wife, married into the firm of her own volition, how much worse must the situation be for her offspring, who will become public property from the moment he is displayed to the assembled world media on the hospital steps.

And in an age obsessed with the oxymoronic phenomena of "reality" and celebrity, the young royal will be forced to perform a gilded simulation of a normality that he will never experience for real, ultimately embracing the stiflingly conservatism of a British establishment of which the monarchy remains the apex, and allowing their personality to be airbrushed according to public tastes. It will be "The Truman Show" with footmen.

Royals, for better or worse, once inhabited worlds of intrigue, conspiracy and high drama, their lives, relationships and deaths entwined with the rise and fall of nations and empires. The feats and misdeeds of kings, queens and their progeny were fodder for Shakespearean epics.

Yet it is centuries since the British royal family played anything more than a decorative role in the life of the nation -- and this new heir may have to wait the best part of this century before assuming even those diminished duties.

Opinion: How to raise a royal baby

Royal heirs have traditionally passed the years waiting for their relatives to die by becoming champions of worthy causes. Prince Charles is famed for his woolly opinions on environmentalism and architecture, while Prince William has leant his support to the campaign to tackle homelessness.

Perhaps, out of enlightened self-interest alone and with time on his side, the prince could one day become the first royal to embrace the cause of republicanism.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Simon Hooper.

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The royal family on the balcony at Buckingham Palace September 12, 1937 after the coronation of King George VI. King George VI (R) stands with Princess Elizabeth (C) and Princess Margaret.

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Catherine has proved quite the fashionista since being catapulted into the limelight thanks to her appearance in a university catwalk show.

Get all the latest news, photos and videos on Kate and William's baby and the rest of the royal family.

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