PUENTE STEPS DOWN AFTER DEADLY TRAIN CRASHES THIS YEAR

MADRID, NOVEMBER 3 /SRNA – Reuters/ – Spanish Transport Minister Oscar Puente said he will resign after the country's second rail disaster this year, which killed 69 people.

Puente said he decided to step down after the latest crash on October 28, but stayed on to deal with its aftermath and take measures to prevent similar accidents in the future.

"A transport minister in a country like Spain cannot remain in office after two such serious accidents in less than a year," Puente told lawmakers.

He said he had informed Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez of his decision.

The Sumar party had called for Puente's resignation, while saying it did not hold him responsible for the crash, Spanish newspaper El País reported.

ERC spokesman Gabriel Rufian said human error showed that the safety system was weak.

Sixty-nine people were killed last week when two trains collided near the town of Urda in central Spain.

In the other rail disaster earlier this year, involving trains from the same companies, 46 people were killed.