TRANSPORT MINISTER REJECTS CALLS TO RESIGN

MADRID, OCTOBER 30 /SRNA-Reuters/ - Spanish Transport Minister Oscar Puente today rejected calls to resign over the second deadly rail accident since the beginning of the year.

"My duty now is not to focus on discussions about how long I will stay in office, but to solve the problem, establish the exact circumstances of the accident and provide clear explanations," Puente stressed.

Lawmakers from various political parties earlier this week condemned Puente for blaming traffic control for the accident and refusing to accept responsibility, while railway workers' unions also called for his resignation.

At least 69 people were killed on October 28 in a collision between two passenger trains in Urda, after a computer failure caused the safety system to shut down. A rail accident in January killed 46 people.