Renfe President Attends Festival After Fatal Accident at Villaverde Base

A worker died and two others were injured in an accident at Renfe's Villaverde maintenance base in Madrid on Wednesday. Renfe president Álvaro Fernández Heredia continued with a planned trip to the Mérida festival after being informed of the tragedy, sparking internal criticism Source: elconfidencial.

The Accident

The accident occurred around 14:20 hours at the Base de Mantenimiento Integral (BMI) in Villaverde, shared by Renfe and Adif Source: abces. The deceased was a 30-year-old employee of an external contractor. Three workers were crushed by heavy steel machinery during maintenance work Source: lavanguardia; one died at the scene despite rescue attempts, and two others suffered fractures Source: abces. Renfe expressed condolences and announced an internal investigation Source: infobae.

President's Decision

Fernández Heredia was traveling by train to Mérida when he learned of the accident. He proceeded to attend the 'Bacanal' play at the Mérida Roman Theatre, where Renfe is a sponsor, and stayed overnight Source: elconfidencial. This decision angered workers and managers; Renfe declined to comment on whether postponing the trip was considered Source: elconfidencial.

Investigation and Context

• The police judicial commission is investigating .