Fátima Báñez dies: Spain's former minister killed in train crash near Toledo

Spain's former labor minister Fátima Báñez was killed in the train crash near Urda, in the province of Toledo in central Spain, on Wednesday, October 28. Her death at age 59 was first reported by El Debate, citing two sources at the scene. Báñez most recently headed the Fundación CEOE, the foundation of Spain's employers' association. ABC cited sources in the Partido Popular (People's Party).

Báñez was aboard the derailed train operated by the private rail company Iryo. The employers' association CEOE had said so earlier and expressed concern about her whereabouts. The former minister was on her way to Seville, where she planned to attend the Día de la Empresa (Business Day) of the Andalusian employers' association Confederación de Empresarios de Andalucía.

Crash between Urda and Los Yébenes

According to Transport Minister Óscar Puente, the crash occurred at about 8:53 a.m. on the line between Urda and Los Yébenes in the Castilla-La Mancha region. The high-speed AVE 2080 train and Iryo train 6076 were reportedly involved.

Reports on the number of victims differ: Semana reports more than 50 dead and 180 injured, while the news site Vozpópuli reports at least 64 dead. The cause is still unclear.

Hours of uncertainty

For several hours after the crash, her fate remained uncertain; according to Vozpópuli, her husband traveled to the crash site. The head of the Castilla-La Mancha regional government, Emiliano García-Page, said on the radio station Cope: "What we know is that she was in the most severely affected car."

García-Page also urged caution. In disasters like this, it is normal to a certain extent for mobile phones not to work, he said. He added that the stretch of line does not have the best network coverage, which makes it harder to reach survivors.

After her death was confirmed, the CEOE expressed its dismay and offered condolences to her family.

Minister under Rajoy

From December 2011 to June 2018, Báñez served as minister of employment and social security in both governments of conservative Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. After the no-confidence vote that brought Pedro Sánchez to power, she withdrew from politics and moved into business.

In December 2019, she became an independent external member of the board of directors of the company Laboratorios Rovi. In April 2020, she joined the board of trustees of the Fundación CEOE, of which she was president until her death.