A Study of a Mass Casualty Train Crash, Focusing on the Cause of Injuries

A Case Study of the High-speed Train Crash Outside Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain

“…15 The head, face, and neck sustained most injuries compared to other body parts (41%), closely followed by the trunk (chest, abdomen, and pelvis; 32%). This differs from the findings in Forsberg et al 16 that found the trunk was the body part that sustained most injuries. The number of tables, a factor that has been shown to cause trunk injuries, 16,17 was relatively low in the carriages, except in the dining carriage.…”

“…Also, four of the carriages overturned, an occurrence that increases the lethality and injury risk 16 19 Because the rail carriages were not equipped with seat belts, the passengers most likely were thrown against various structures and into each other during the crash phase, which in other studies has proven to be an inducing factor for the emergence of injuries 16 , 17 , 20 , 21 (an experience that has been described as being in a tumble dryer) 21 22…”

“…In this case, seatbelts had probably reduced a number of injuries as they had prevented passengers from falling out from the carriages and thus sliding against the sharp concrete edge when the carriages were opened. Smaller compartments, 16 or injury-mitigating strategies of table design, 8 , 17 , 18 with the aim to absorb energy and compartmentalize the passengers, may also reduce the risk of passengers being injured.…”

“…Loosened interiors and unsecured luggage also can cause injuries in a crash; 16 , 17 , 21 , 23 Figure 4 leaves little doubt that this was also the case in this crash. The train set did not have sealable luggage hatches, like in airplanes, allowing suitcases to fly around as projectiles, a factor causing injuries in previous crashes 17 19 , 21 , 23 , 24 These interior shortcomings indicate that methods to improve interior safety to reduce morbidity and mortality of future crashes merit further investigation 16…”

Passengers’ Perceptions of Railway Safety

“…In the train crashes in Sweden; in Nosaby, 2004 and in Kimstad, 2010, passengers were injured when they were thrown against various structures, into each other, and when hit by loose furniture and luggage (9,10). The consequences of the interior design and the prominence of improvements has also been illustrated by others (11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16).…”