Asturias coal mine accident kills two, Real Madrid in ownership shake-up, and more news from Spain on Monday.
Spain coal mine accident kills two
Spanish rescuers recovered the body of a second worker from a coal mine accident in Asturias over the weekend, the latest such tragedy to strike the historic northern mining region.
Asturias emergency services said in a statement that they were alerted on Friday afternoon to “a ground collapse” on level two of the mine in Vega de Rengos.
They then posted on X that one of the bodies had been recovered before confirming in a second statement that a second body was retrieved shortly after midnight on Saturday.
“The material from the cave-in hampered the work to rescue both victims,” the statement said, modifying earlier information that three miners were involved in total.
“Today is a sad day for Asturias and for the whole country,” Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez wrote on X, expressing “solidarity with the mining family”, relatives and friends of the victims.
According to Asturias regional government data, mining company TYC Narcea Special Research extracts anthracite at the site. The mayor of the nearby town of Cangas del Narcea, Jose Luis Fontaniella, suggested it was “an unfortunate accident”, telling local radio Cope Asturias that inspectors had recently checked the mine and “everything was in order”.
In March, a blast at another Asturias coal mine killed five people and seriously injured four others, Spain’s deadliest mining accident in decades. Mining has for centuries been a major industry in Asturias, a densely forested mountainous region.
Iberia cancels commercial flights to Venezuela amid increased US military activity
Spanish flagship airline Iberia has cancelled commercial flights to Venezuela after the US government warned about increased satellite interference and military exercises in Venezuelan airspace.
As President Trump’s anti-drug smuggling drive continues, the US Federal Aviation Administration has urged “extreme caution in the face of a potentially dangerous situation in the region.”
Iberia’s first scheduled commercial flight to Venezuela was due to take place on Monday, November 24, and the Spanish airline has taken the decision in line with other airlines which are also canceling flights to Venezuela due to the situation in the country, company sources tell news agency EFE.
Advertisement
Real Madrid plan to find external investment in ownership shake-up
Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez said Sunday he plans to allow outside investors to buy a stake in the club for the first time, in order to “preserve and increase the value” of the Spanish giants.
The arrival of a minority shareholder, who would hold “five percent or a maximum of 10 percent” of the club, would represent a significant change in the economic structure of Real Madrid.
Record 15-time European champions, Real Madrid have remained member-owned throughout their 123-year history, like their rivals Barcelona.
Pérez’s proposal is set to be put to a vote at an extraordinary assembly, reported to be planned for early 2026.
“We want our historic structure to withstand the challenges of the future, and now more than ever, we need our 100,000 members to actively be the guardians of our heritage,” Pérez said at the club’s general assembly on Sunday.
The Real Madrid president said members would retain “absolute control” over the club’s decisions.
Earlier in November global sports investment company Apollo Sports Capital struck a deal to become Atletico Madrid’s majority shareholder.
Advertisement
Madrid region to trial run AI alert system for heart patients
The Madrid region is reportedly set to trial an artificial intelligence (AI) monitoring system for patients with heart disease that will send alerts to adjust medication or avoid possible hospitalisations.
The program will be developed in a pilot phase at the Ramón y Cajal Hospital with the intention to extend it across the entire Madrid Health Service (Sermas). Patients will receive remote monitoring devices, such as blood pressure monitors or smart watches, which will collect data and be examined using AI.
“The system will improve the ability to detect patients at risk of heart disease, specifically acute myocardial infarction and heart failure,” documents accompanying the contract for the trial state.