BBC Breakfast presenter Sally Nugent opened Monday’s show with devastating news
BBC Breakfast star Sally Nugent delivered heartbreaking death news just minutes into Monday’s (January 19) live show. Sally and her co-host Jon Kay fronted today’s programme, bringing viewers the latest developments from Britain and beyond.
Weather presenter Carol Kirkwood provided regular forecasts throughout the morning, whilst Emma Vardy and Ben Croucher delivered business and sports bulletins, respectively.
Opening the broadcast, Sally broke the devastating news of a high-speed rail disaster in Spain, which claimed at least 39 lives and left dozens others seriously injured. She told viewers: “At least 21 people have been killed in Southern Spain after two trains collided. It happened near the town of Adamuz when a train heading towards Madrid derailed and hit another on the other side of the tracks. More than 30 passengers are being treated for serious injuries in hospital.”
The death toll tragically increased as the morning progressed, Sally confirmed. Distressing footage from the crash site was broadcast, with correspondent Barry Caffrey detailing the horrific incident in a recorded report, reports the Express.
He explained: “A train en route from Malaga to Madrid near to the city of Córdoba in Andalusia, crossing onto the other track, where it hit another train. One passenger described the moment of impact as feeling like an earthquake and said survivors had crashed windows to escape.
“Military personnel were despatched to help with the rescue effort. Iryo, a private rail company that operated the journey from Malaga, said around 300 passengers were on board the train that first derailed, while the other train, operated by Renfe, had around 100 passengers on board. Though the cause of the crash is not yet known, Spain’s transport minister, Óscar Puente, told reporters it was very strange that the derailment had happened on a straight section of track.
“While rail travel is generally very safe and reliable in Spain, this incident will no doubt bring back memories of a derailment in 2013, when a train left the tracks outside Santiago de Compostela in the northwest of the country. 79 people were killed in what was the worst rail acident in Spain for more than 40 years.”
Barry continued: “King Felipe and Queen Letizia said they were following news of this latest incident with great concern. Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, said the government was working with the emergency services to help those affected.”
A spokesperson for Italian rail company Ferrovie dello Stato informed Reuters that the train involved in the crash was a Freccia 1000, capable of reaching top speeds of 400 km/h (250 mph). Rescue teams faced challenges due to the mangled wreckage of the trains, making it difficult to extract trapped passengers from the carriages.
Córdoba’s fire chief, Francisco Carmona, shared the grim reality with Spanish public broadcaster RTVE: “We have even had to remove a dead person to be able to reach someone alive. It is hard, tricky work.”
Following the tragic incident, all rail services between Madrid and Andalusia were halted, with closures expected to last throughout Monday.
Elsewhere on today’s BBC Breakfast, Sally and Jon provided viewers with political updates as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer prepared for a national address on Monday. This follows US President Donald Trump’s threat of imposing tariffs on the UK and other nations opposing his Greenland purchase plan. The programme also covered Prince Harry’s return to the UK ahead of a significant court case.
Source: Mirror
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