Fatal Queensland crashes; Spain train crash kills at least 64
Two people are fighting for life or dead in Queensland crashes, as at least 64 die in a Spanish train collision and police probe an Adelaide shooting.
A passenger has died after a car veered off the road and hit a telegraph pole south of Brisbane, according to 7NEWS reporting on Wednesday 28 October. The car reportedly left the road at high speed at about 8.30pm on Tuesday and was split down the middle by the impact. The passenger died at the scene. The driver was taken to hospital, and their condition was not known.
It was one of three fatal crashes in Queensland overnight, the report said. On the Gold Coast, a man was fighting for his life after a tow truck and two cars collided at an intersection just before 6.30pm on Tuesday. Emergency crews took about half an hour to cut one driver free from his car. The cause is under investigation.
Spain train crash
At least 64 people were killed when a high-speed train ran into the back of a stationary train south of Madrid, in what was described as Spain's worst rail disaster in a decade. About 80 people were injured, 15 of them critically. The crash happened at about 9am local time on a popular route between Madrid and Seville. The impact threw several carriages off the track and down an embankment. The death toll was expected to rise.
Survivors described a loud bang and being thrown through the air. One man said he counted eight dead in his carriage. Spain set up a mass-casualty response, with medical tents erected and rescuers working to reach trapped passengers.
Spain's transport minister said a computer failure caused several trains to stop on the track. He said the control centre then allowed one train to move without speed restrictions, which should not have happened. It is the country's second deadly train crash within a year, after 45 people died in January. Spain has declared three days of national mourning. The high-speed line remains suspended, and airlines have added flights and seats.
Adelaide shooting
Homicide detectives are investigating a fatal shooting in Adelaide's inner east. Police were called to a home on Gwynne Street at about 2am and found one person dead and another injured. Major crime detectives were at the scene.
Inflation and rates
Headline inflation jumped to 4.3 per cent in figures released on Tuesday, well above the Reserve Bank's target. Mortgage holders are now almost certain to face a fifth interest rate hike at the RBA's Melbourne Cup week meeting. The government says global politics, including the war in the Middle East, is to blame.
Northern beaches charges
A 30-year-old man, Billy Baker, has been charged over a crime spree across Sydney's northern beaches that ended in a standoff on the roof of a home. The operation lasted nearly four hours on Tuesday and involved three stolen luxury cars, two abandoned police pursuits and threats towards officers. Baker allegedly has links to the Comanchero Motorcycle Club.
AUKUS submarine
The American submarine USS Colorado has visited a Navy base south of Perth for training and maintenance under AUKUS. It arrived with 160 crew, including five Australians. It will return and become the first US submarine to start Submarine Rotation Force West from late 2027. Four US submarines and one UK submarine are due to be based in Perth on rotation.
Key questions
- How many people died in the Spain train crash?
- At least 64 people had died at the time of the report, with about 80 injured and 15 in a critical condition. The toll was expected to rise.
- What caused the Spanish high-speed train collision?
- Spain's transport minister said a computer failure stopped several trains on the track. He said the control centre then let one train move without speed restrictions, which should not have happened.
- What happened in the Adelaide shooting?
- Police found one person dead and another injured at a home on Gwynne Street in Adelaide's inner east at about 2am. Homicide detectives are investigating.