The king and queen of Spain attended a solemn funeral Mass at Toledo's 13th-century cathedral alongside relatives of the victims, nearly two weeks on from one of the worst rail disasters Europe has seen this century.

People from Urda set 69 candles beside the altar — one for every life lost — and a 16th-century sculpture of Christ was carried from the town for the occasion. Inside the cathedral, mourners sat as candles burned in memory of the dead.

The crash, Spain's second fatal high-speed rail accident this year, killed 69 people when a Renfe train struck a stationary Iryo service near Urda on 28 October. In its aftermath the transport minister and the head of the railway operator both resigned, and European prosecutors opened a fraud investigation into EU safety funds.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez stayed away from the Mass, citing his refusal to take part in religious ceremonies. Opponents seized on the absence, accusing him of avoiding a hostile public in the middle of an election campaign.

With a general election set for 29 November, the disaster has heaped pressure on the government. A strike by train drivers has caused further disruption to rail services.

Source: euronews.com