EU Prosecutors Open Fraud Probe After Fatal Spanish Train Crash

Spain's deadliest rail disaster in years has now become a European fraud investigation. The European Public Prosecutor's Office has opened an inquiry into possible fraud in the financing of Spain's rail network after a devastating high-speed train crash on 28 October that killed at least 69 passengers, Al Jazeera reports.

On Friday, investigators searched the headquarters of rail infrastructure manager Adif, the State Railway Safety Agency and the Court of Auditors. The probe focuses on EU funds that were meant to pay for safety, signalling and communications upgrades on the Madrid-Seville high-speed line. The searches signal the inquiry is already reaching deep into Spain's rail institutions.

The political fallout has already been heavy. Transport Minister Oscar Puente resigned after the crash, and Adif's president stepped down the following day. With European money now under scrutiny, victims' families and voters will be watching closely to see who is held responsible and whether safety spending ever reached the tracks.