Puente will appear in Congress this Tuesday after approving victim assistance

The Minister ofTransport, Óscar Puente, will take to the Council of Ministers on Tuesday a report on the rail accident in Urda, Toledo, where a decree on assistance to victims will be adopted, after which Puente will appear in Congress this afternoon to explain the management of this tragedy.

The aid decree already prepared by the Spanish Government is based on the one adopted following the accident in Adamuz, Córdoba, on 18 January, and doubles the compensation for compulsory passenger insurance, which would mean amaximum automatic compensation of EUR 216,364.68 per deceased.

Requests for resignation in Congress

At the press conference following the Council of Ministers, Oscar Puente will present the details of this decree and the contents of the report on the accident of 28 October in Urda, Toledo.

In the afternoon, at the requestof the Minister himself, he shall appear before the Permanent Council of Congress, which replaces the plenary when the Courts are dissolved, to report on the management of the accident.

Six days after the tragedy, Puente will listen in Congress to requests for resignation from all political groups except PSOE and EH Bildu in public statements.

So far the minister has refused to resign on the grounds that his responsibility is to "face up", clarify what happened and remain in charge.

However, after the accident, Puente offered his position to the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, who, on the grounds that his exclusion would be "unfair", asked the minister to continue managing the situation, according to government sources.

New protocols

At the hearing, the minister must explain the technical sequence of the accident and the response of the ministry, Adif and Renfe, including new safety protocols.