BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — A Spanish commuter train crashed into a buffer early Friday at a station in northeastern Barcelona, tossing passengers to the floor and sending 53 people to the hospital, officials said.

Public Works Minister Inigo de la Serna, who visited the scene, said 56 people in all received medical treatment, with 53 taken to city hospitals. Regional health authorities said one man was seriously injured by a blow to the chest, but his life was not in danger as he recovers at Barcelona’s Clinic Hospital.

The accident happened at 7.15 a.m. on a train that began at the coastal town of Sant Vicenc de Calders, south of Barcelona.

“When the train arrived at Francia station it applied the brakes but at the same time it made a noisy crash,” said passenger Said Saharaui.

“The passengers were thrown to the floor,” he said. “Even though the train did brake, it wasn’t until the crash when it reached a full stop.”

The impact of the crash smashed the nose of the train and left it hanging off one side. More damage occurred between the train’s first and second cars.

The accident came as RENFE rail workers staged a one-day strike. The affected train was running as part of minimum services ordered by the Public Works Ministry.

De la Serna said the train had passed its most recent inspection on July 18. He said officials are investigating data and equipment from the driver’s cabin to try to understand the cause of the accident.

He said the 31-year-old driver, who was among 19 people slightly injured, had seven years of service on commuter trains.

Many people in Spain were beginning their summer holidays Friday, with Barcelona and surrounding towns popular destinations.

Francia is Barcelona’s second main train station after Sants, which handles the bullet train and most intercity services.</s>OLEIROS, Portugal — At least 50 people were injured after a commuter train in Barcelona crashed during the morning rush on Friday as it entered one of the city’s main stations.

The crash occurred on the first day of a strike by railway employees in Catalonia and elsewhere in Spain, forcing the cancellation of many trains. The employees are protesting planned job cuts across Spain’s railway system.

There was no indication that the crash was related to the strike, and there were no reports of fatalities.

The train, which was arriving from the village of Sant Vicenc de Calders in the province of Tarragona, hit a buffer at Franca Station shortly after 7 a.m. local time, according to local news outlets. At least 18 people were taken to the hospital, including one person with serious injuries, officials said. The train driver was among those injured.

Officials have opened an investigation into the cause of the crash.

Josep Rull, a member of the regional Catalan government, told reporters that the casualty toll was not bigger because the crash had “luckily” occurred as the train approached the station at a reduced speed.

Some of those who were injured, however, had gotten out of their seats to disembark before the train had stopped at the platform.</s>BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — The Latest on a train crash in Barcelona (all times local):

Regional health authorities in Spain have elevated the number of seriously injured people to three after a commuter train crashed into a buffer at a train station in Barcelona.

Officials initially said only one of the 56 passengers requiring medical treatment was seriously hurt in the Friday morning accident.

Catalan police also say the train driver has passed a drug and alcohol test.

The police say the investigation into the cause of the accident at Barcelona's Francia station will take days to complete.

Spain's Public Works Minister Inigo de la Serna has increased the total number of injured people to 56 after a commuter train crashed into the buffers in a station in Barcelona.

Officials have given a number of conflicting figures for those injured, though they say only one man seriously hurt, suffering a blow to the chest.

Police are investigating the causes of the wreck that occurred at 7.15 a.m. (0515 GMT) on Friday in Barcelona's Francia station when the commuter train ran into the buffers.

Catalan government officials say 54 people were treated for injuries after a morning commuter train they were traveling on crashed into the buffers in a station in northeastern Barcelona early Friday.

Regional health chief Antoni Comi said 51 people were taken to city hospitals but that just one person was seriously injured.

He said there were no immediate details on the cause of the accident, which happened at 7.15 a.m. (0515 GMT) in Francia station.

In the immediate aftermath of the accident, emergency services gave several different figures for the number of passengers injured.

Emergency services say 40 people received medical treatment after a morning commuter train they were traveling on crashed into the buffers in a station in northeastern Barcelona early Friday

The Catalan regional emergency services said one person was seriously injured and the rest, including the driver, treated for minor injuries, following the accident at Francia station on the northern side of the city.

Initially, the services had said five people had been seriously injured, among them the driver.

The accident occurred at 7.15 a.m. (0515 GMT).

Emergency services say some 50 people have been injured when a morning commuter train crashed into the buffers in a station in northeastern Barcelona.

The Catalan regional emergency services said 48 people were treated and 18 taken to city hospitals, five of them in serious condition, following the accident Friday at Francia station on the northern side of the city.

Television images showed many passengers being tended to on the ground in the station.

The train driver was among those seriously injured.

The train had left the southern coastal town of Sant Vicenc de Calders and arrived at Francia station at 7.15 a.m. (0515 GMT).</s>Some 50 people needed medical treatment after a Spanish commuter train crashed into the buffers in a station in northeastern Barcelona early Friday, Catalan government officials said.

Regional health chief Antoni Comi said 54 people in all received medical treatment, with 51 taken to city hospitals. He said just one person was seriously injured.

"When the train arrived at Francia station it applied the brakes but at the same time it made a noisy crash," said Said Saharaui, a passenger on the train.

"The passengers were thrown to the floor," he said. "Even though the train did brake it wasn't until the crash when it reached a full stop."

Damage was done to the train's nose and between the train's first and second car.

Public Works Minister Inigo de la Serna, who visited the scene of the accident, said the train had passed its most recent inspection on July 18. He said officials are investigating data and equipment from the driver's cabin to try to ascertain the cause of the accident.

He said the 31-year-old driver has eight years of service on commuter trains.

The accident happened at 7.15 a.m. (0515 GMT). The train had started at the coastal town of Sant Vicenc de Calders, south of Barcelona.

In the immediate aftermath of the accident, emergency services gave several different figures for the number of passengers injured.

Comi said some 18 emergency service units were deployed. "We were able to attend to the injured very quickly," he said.

Barcelona's Clinic Hospital said the seriously injured passenger was a man and that his life was not in danger.

The accident came as RENFE rail workers staged a one-day strike. The affected train was running as part of minimum services ordered by the Public Works ministry.

Friday saw many people beginning their summer holidays, with Barcelona and surrounding towns popular destinations.

Francia is Barcelona's second main train station after Sants, which handles the bullet train and most intercity services.</s>A man lies on a stratcher as emergency personel gather on a platform beside a train at Estacio de Franca (Franca station) in central Barcelona on July 28, 2017 after the regional train appears to have hit the end of the track inside the station injuring at least 23 people. "Eighteen people have been hospitalized, five of whom are in serious condition and thirty others are being evaluated," a spokesman for civil protection services told AFP. / AFP PHOTO / Josep LAGOJOSEP LAGO/AFP/Getty Images

A man lies on a stratcher as emergency personel gather on a platform beside a train at Estacio de Franca (Franca station) in central Barcelona on July 28, 2017 after the regional train appears to have hit the end of the track inside the station injuring at least 23 people. "Eighteen people have been hospitalized, five of whom are in serious condition and thirty others are being evaluated," a spokesman for civil protection services told AFP. / AFP PHOTO / Josep LAGOJOSEP LAGO/AFP/Getty Images

Emergency personel and members of a train crew stand on a platform at the Estacio de Franca (Franca station) in central Barcelona on July 28, 2017 after a regional train appears to have hit the end of the track inside the station injuring some 40 people. "Eighteen people have been hospitalized, five of whom are in serious condition and thirty others are being evaluated," a spokesman for civil protection services told AFP. / AFP PHOTO / Josep LAGOJOSEP LAGO/AFP/Getty Images

Injured passengers are attended to on the platform of a train station in Barcelona, Spain, Friday, July 28, 2017. Dozens of people were injured when a morning commuter train they were traveling on crashed into the buffers in a station in northeastern Barcelona early Friday. (AP Photo/Adrian Quiroga) ORG XMIT: PW102

An injured passenger is taken away on a stretcher from a train station in Barcelona, Spain, Friday, July 28, 2017. Catalan government officials say dozens of people were treated for injuries when a morning commuter train they were traveling on crashed into the buffers in a station in northeastern Barcelona early Friday. (AP Photo/Adrian Quiroga) ORG XMIT: PW105

Workers look at a damaged train on the platform of a train station in Barcelona, Spain, Friday, July 28, 2017. Catalan government officials say dozens of people were treated for injuries when a morning commuter train they were traveling on crashed into the buffers in a station in northeastern Barcelona early Friday. (AP Photo/Adrian Quiroga) ORG XMIT: PW107

An injured passenger is taken away on a stretcher from a train station in Barcelona, Spain, Friday July 28, 2017. Catalan government officials say 54 people were treated for injuries when a morning commuter train they were traveling on crashed into the buffers in a station in northeastern Barcelona early Friday. (AP Photo/Adrian Quiroga) ORG XMIT: PW111

An injured passenger is taken away on a stretcher from a train station in Barcelona, Spain, Friday July 28, 2017. Catalan government officials say 54 people were treated for injuries when a morning commuter train they were traveling on crashed into the buffers in a station in northeastern Barcelona early Friday. (AP Photo/Adrian Quiroga) ORG XMIT: PW112

A picture taken on July 28, 2017 and obtained from the Instagram account "Ungatodecheshire" shows a commuter train which slammed into the end of the platform during the morning rush hour at Francia station in the Spanish city of Barcelona. Eighteen people were injured, one of them seriously, and about 30 others were examined by medics, a spokesman for the civil protection services said. / AFP PHOTO / - / NO ARCHIVES-/AFP/Getty Images

BARCELONA, Spain — Some 50 people received medical treatment after a Spanish commuter train crashed into the buffers in a station in northeastern Barcelona early Friday, Catalan government officials said.

Regional health chief Antoni Comi said 54 people in all received medical treatment, with 51 taken to city hospitals. He said just one person was seriously injured.

“When the train arrived at Francia station it applied the brakes but at the same time it made a noisy crash,” said Said Saharaui, a passenger on the train.

“The passengers were thrown to the floor,” he said. “Even though the train did brake it wasn’t until the crash when it reached a full stop.”

Damage was done to the train’s nose and between the train’s first and second car.

RENFE rail company spokesman Antonio Carmona said there were no immediate details on the cause of the accident, which happened at 7.15 a.m. (0515 GMT) in Francia station. The train had started at the coastal town of Sant Vicenc de Calders, south of Barcelona.

In the immediate aftermath of the accident, emergency services gave several different figures for the number of passengers injured.

Comi said some 18 emergency service units were deployed. “We were able to attend to the injured very quickly,” he said.

The accident came as RENFE rail workers staged a one-day strike. The affected train was running as part of minimum services ordered by the Public Works ministry.

Friday saw many people beginning their summer holidays, with Barcelona and its surrounding towns popular destinations.

Francia is Barcelona’s second main train station after Sants, which handles the bullet train and most intercity services.</s>BARCELONA, Spain — A Spanish commuter train crashed into a buffer early Friday at a station in northeastern Barcelona, tossing passengers to the floor and sending 53 people to the hospital, officials said.

Public Works Minister Inigo de la Serna, who visited the scene, said 56 people in all received medical treatment, with 53 taken to city hospitals. Regional health authorities said one man was seriously injured by a blow to the chest, but his life was not in danger as he recovers at Barcelona’s Clinic Hospital.

The accident happened at 7.15 a.m. on a train that began at the coastal town of Sant Vicenc de Calders, south of Barcelona.

“When the train arrived at Francia station it applied the brakes but at the same time it made a noisy crash,” said passenger Said Saharaui.

“The passengers were thrown to the floor,” he said. “Even though the train did brake, it wasn’t until the crash when it reached a full stop.”

The impact of the crash smashed the nose of the train and left it hanging off one side. More damage occurred between the train’s first and second cars.

The accident came as RENFE rail workers staged a one-day strike. The affected train was running as part of minimum services ordered by the Public Works Ministry.

De la Serna said the train had passed its most recent inspection on July 18. He said officials are investigating data and equipment from the driver’s cabin to try to understand the cause of the accident.

He said the 31-year-old driver, who was among 19 people slightly injured, had seven years of service on commuter trains.

Many people in Spain were beginning their summer holidays Friday, with Barcelona and surrounding towns popular destinations.

Francia is Barcelona’s second main train station after Sants, which handles the bullet train and most intercity services.

Associated Press writers Ciaran Giles in Madrid and Hernan Munoz in Barcelona contributed to this report.</s>A man lies on a stratcher as emergency personel gather on a platform beside a train at Estacio de Franca (Franca station) in central Barcelona on July 28, 2017 after the regional train appears to have hit the end of the track inside the station injuring at least 23 people. "Eighteen people have been hospitalized, five of whom are in serious condition and thirty others are being evaluated," a spokesman for civil protection services told AFP. / AFP PHOTO / Josep LAGOJOSEP LAGO/AFP/Getty Images

A man lies on a stratcher as emergency personel gather on a platform beside a train at Estacio de Franca (Franca station) in central Barcelona on July 28, 2017 after the regional train appears to have hit the end of the track inside the station injuring at least 23 people. "Eighteen people have been hospitalized, five of whom are in serious condition and thirty others are being evaluated," a spokesman for civil protection services told AFP. / AFP PHOTO / Josep LAGOJOSEP LAGO/AFP/Getty Images

Emergency personel and members of a train crew stand on a platform at the Estacio de Franca (Franca station) in central Barcelona on July 28, 2017 after a regional train appears to have hit the end of the track inside the station injuring some 40 people. "Eighteen people have been hospitalized, five of whom are in serious condition and thirty others are being evaluated," a spokesman for civil protection services told AFP. / AFP PHOTO / Josep LAGOJOSEP LAGO/AFP/Getty Images

Injured passengers are attended to on the platform of a train station in Barcelona, Spain, Friday, July 28, 2017. Dozens of people were injured when a morning commuter train they were traveling on crashed into the buffers in a station in northeastern Barcelona early Friday. (AP Photo/Adrian Quiroga) ORG XMIT: PW102

An injured passenger is taken away on a stretcher from a train station in Barcelona, Spain, Friday, July 28, 2017. Catalan government officials say dozens of people were treated for injuries when a morning commuter train they were traveling on crashed into the buffers in a station in northeastern Barcelona early Friday. (AP Photo/Adrian Quiroga) ORG XMIT: PW105

Workers look at a damaged train on the platform of a train station in Barcelona, Spain, Friday, July 28, 2017. Catalan government officials say dozens of people were treated for injuries when a morning commuter train they were traveling on crashed into the buffers in a station in northeastern Barcelona early Friday. (AP Photo/Adrian Quiroga) ORG XMIT: PW107

An injured passenger is taken away on a stretcher from a train station in Barcelona, Spain, Friday July 28, 2017. Catalan government officials say 54 people were treated for injuries when a morning commuter train they were traveling on crashed into the buffers in a station in northeastern Barcelona early Friday. (AP Photo/Adrian Quiroga) ORG XMIT: PW111

An injured passenger is taken away on a stretcher from a train station in Barcelona, Spain, Friday July 28, 2017. Catalan government officials say 54 people were treated for injuries when a morning commuter train they were traveling on crashed into the buffers in a station in northeastern Barcelona early Friday. (AP Photo/Adrian Quiroga) ORG XMIT: PW112

A picture taken on July 28, 2017 and obtained from the Instagram account "Ungatodecheshire" shows a commuter train which slammed into the end of the platform during the morning rush hour at Francia station in the Spanish city of Barcelona. Eighteen people were injured, one of them seriously, and about 30 others were examined by medics, a spokesman for the civil protection services said. / AFP PHOTO / - / NO ARCHIVES-/AFP/Getty Images

BARCELONA, Spain — Some 50 people received medical treatment after a Spanish commuter train crashed into the buffers in a station in northeastern Barcelona early Friday, Catalan government officials said.

Regional health chief Antoni Comi said 54 people in all received medical treatment, with 51 taken to city hospitals. He said just one person was seriously injured.

“When the train arrived at Francia station it applied the brakes but at the same time it made a noisy crash,” said Said Saharaui, a passenger on the train.

“The passengers were thrown to the floor,” he said. “Even though the train did brake it wasn’t until the crash when it reached a full stop.”

Damage was done to the train’s nose and between the train’s first and second car.

RENFE rail company spokesman Antonio Carmona said there were no immediate details on the cause of the accident, which happened at 7.15 a.m. (0515 GMT) in Francia station. The train had started at the coastal town of Sant Vicenc de Calders, south of Barcelona.

In the immediate aftermath of the accident, emergency services gave several different figures for the number of passengers injured.

Comi said some 18 emergency service units were deployed. “We were able to attend to the injured very quickly,” he said.

The accident came as RENFE rail workers staged a one-day strike. The affected train was running as part of minimum services ordered by the Public Works ministry.

Friday saw many people beginning their summer holidays, with Barcelona and its surrounding towns popular destinations.

Francia is Barcelona’s second main train station after Sants, which handles the bullet train and most intercity services.</s>A man lies on a stratcher as emergency personel gather on a platform beside a train at Estacio de Franca (Franca station) in central Barcelona on July 28, 2017 after the regional train appears to have hit the end of the track inside the station injuring at least 23 people. "Eighteen people have been hospitalized, five of whom are in serious condition and thirty others are being evaluated," a spokesman for civil protection services told AFP. / AFP PHOTO / Josep LAGOJOSEP LAGO/AFP/Getty Images

A man lies on a stratcher as emergency personel gather on a platform beside a train at Estacio de Franca (Franca station) in central Barcelona on July 28, 2017 after the regional train appears to have hit the end of the track inside the station injuring at least 23 people. "Eighteen people have been hospitalized, five of whom are in serious condition and thirty others are being evaluated," a spokesman for civil protection services told AFP. / AFP PHOTO / Josep LAGOJOSEP LAGO/AFP/Getty Images

Emergency personel and members of a train crew stand on a platform at the Estacio de Franca (Franca station) in central Barcelona on July 28, 2017 after a regional train appears to have hit the end of the track inside the station injuring some 40 people. "Eighteen people have been hospitalized, five of whom are in serious condition and thirty others are being evaluated," a spokesman for civil protection services told AFP. / AFP PHOTO / Josep LAGOJOSEP LAGO/AFP/Getty Images

Injured passengers are attended to on the platform of a train station in Barcelona, Spain, Friday, July 28, 2017. Dozens of people were injured when a morning commuter train they were traveling on crashed into the buffers in a station in northeastern Barcelona early Friday. (AP Photo/Adrian Quiroga) ORG XMIT: PW102

An injured passenger is taken away on a stretcher from a train station in Barcelona, Spain, Friday, July 28, 2017. Catalan government officials say dozens of people were treated for injuries when a morning commuter train they were traveling on crashed into the buffers in a station in northeastern Barcelona early Friday. (AP Photo/Adrian Quiroga) ORG XMIT: PW105

Workers look at a damaged train on the platform of a train station in Barcelona, Spain, Friday, July 28, 2017. Catalan government officials say dozens of people were treated for injuries when a morning commuter train they were traveling on crashed into the buffers in a station in northeastern Barcelona early Friday. (AP Photo/Adrian Quiroga) ORG XMIT: PW107

An injured passenger is taken away on a stretcher from a train station in Barcelona, Spain, Friday July 28, 2017. Catalan government officials say 54 people were treated for injuries when a morning commuter train they were traveling on crashed into the buffers in a station in northeastern Barcelona early Friday. (AP Photo/Adrian Quiroga) ORG XMIT: PW111

An injured passenger is taken away on a stretcher from a train station in Barcelona, Spain, Friday July 28, 2017. Catalan government officials say 54 people were treated for injuries when a morning commuter train they were traveling on crashed into the buffers in a station in northeastern Barcelona early Friday. (AP Photo/Adrian Quiroga) ORG XMIT: PW112

A picture taken on July 28, 2017 and obtained from the Instagram account "Ungatodecheshire" shows a commuter train which slammed into the end of the platform during the morning rush hour at Francia station in the Spanish city of Barcelona. Eighteen people were injured, one of them seriously, and about 30 others were examined by medics, a spokesman for the civil protection services said. / AFP PHOTO / - / NO ARCHIVES-/AFP/Getty Images

BARCELONA, Spain — Some 50 people received medical treatment after a Spanish commuter train crashed into the buffers in a station in northeastern Barcelona early Friday, Catalan government officials said.

Regional health chief Antoni Comi said 54 people in all received medical treatment, with 51 taken to city hospitals. He said just one person was seriously injured.

“When the train arrived at Francia station it applied the brakes but at the same time it made a noisy crash,” said Said Saharaui, a passenger on the train.

“The passengers were thrown to the floor,” he said. “Even though the train did brake it wasn’t until the crash when it reached a full stop.”

Damage was done to the train’s nose and between the train’s first and second car.

RENFE rail company spokesman Antonio Carmona said there were no immediate details on the cause of the accident, which happened at 7.15 a.m. (0515 GMT) in Francia station. The train had started at the coastal town of Sant Vicenc de Calders, south of Barcelona.

In the immediate aftermath of the accident, emergency services gave several different figures for the number of passengers injured.

Comi said some 18 emergency service units were deployed. “We were able to attend to the injured very quickly,” he said.

The accident came as RENFE rail workers staged a one-day strike. The affected train was running as part of minimum services ordered by the Public Works ministry.

Friday saw many people beginning their summer holidays, with Barcelona and its surrounding towns popular destinations.

Francia is Barcelona’s second main train station after Sants, which handles the bullet train and most intercity services.</s>A man lies on a stratcher as emergency personel gather on a platform beside a train at Estacio de Franca (Franca station) in central Barcelona on July 28, 2017 after the regional train appears to have hit the end of the track inside the station injuring at least 23 people. "Eighteen people have been hospitalized, five of whom are in serious condition and thirty others are being evaluated," a spokesman for civil protection services told AFP. / AFP PHOTO / Josep LAGOJOSEP LAGO/AFP/Getty Images

A man lies on a stratcher as emergency personel gather on a platform beside a train at Estacio de Franca (Franca station) in central Barcelona on July 28, 2017 after the regional train appears to have hit the end of the track inside the station injuring at least 23 people. "Eighteen people have been hospitalized, five of whom are in serious condition and thirty others are being evaluated," a spokesman for civil protection services told AFP. / AFP PHOTO / Josep LAGOJOSEP LAGO/AFP/Getty Images

Emergency personel and members of a train crew stand on a platform at the Estacio de Franca (Franca station) in central Barcelona on July 28, 2017 after a regional train appears to have hit the end of the track inside the station injuring some 40 people. "Eighteen people have been hospitalized, five of whom are in serious condition and thirty others are being evaluated," a spokesman for civil protection services told AFP. / AFP PHOTO / Josep LAGOJOSEP LAGO/AFP/Getty Images

Injured passengers are attended to on the platform of a train station in Barcelona, Spain, Friday, July 28, 2017. Dozens of people were injured when a morning commuter train they were traveling on crashed into the buffers in a station in northeastern Barcelona early Friday. (AP Photo/Adrian Quiroga) ORG XMIT: PW102

An injured passenger is taken away on a stretcher from a train station in Barcelona, Spain, Friday, July 28, 2017. Catalan government officials say dozens of people were treated for injuries when a morning commuter train they were traveling on crashed into the buffers in a station in northeastern Barcelona early Friday. (AP Photo/Adrian Quiroga) ORG XMIT: PW105

Workers look at a damaged train on the platform of a train station in Barcelona, Spain, Friday, July 28, 2017. Catalan government officials say dozens of people were treated for injuries when a morning commuter train they were traveling on crashed into the buffers in a station in northeastern Barcelona early Friday. (AP Photo/Adrian Quiroga) ORG XMIT: PW107

An injured passenger is taken away on a stretcher from a train station in Barcelona, Spain, Friday July 28, 2017. Catalan government officials say 54 people were treated for injuries when a morning commuter train they were traveling on crashed into the buffers in a station in northeastern Barcelona early Friday. (AP Photo/Adrian Quiroga) ORG XMIT: PW111

An injured passenger is taken away on a stretcher from a train station in Barcelona, Spain, Friday July 28, 2017. Catalan government officials say 54 people were treated for injuries when a morning commuter train they were traveling on crashed into the buffers in a station in northeastern Barcelona early Friday. (AP Photo/Adrian Quiroga) ORG XMIT: PW112

A picture taken on July 28, 2017 and obtained from the Instagram account "Ungatodecheshire" shows a commuter train which slammed into the end of the platform during the morning rush hour at Francia station in the Spanish city of Barcelona. Eighteen people were injured, one of them seriously, and about 30 others were examined by medics, a spokesman for the civil protection services said. / AFP PHOTO / - / NO ARCHIVES-/AFP/Getty Images

BARCELONA, Spain — A Spanish commuter train crashed into a buffer early Friday at a station in northeastern Barcelona, tossing passengers to the floor and sending 53 people to the hospital, officials said.

Public Works Minister Inigo de la Serna, who visited the scene, said 56 people in all received medical treatment, with 53 taken to city hospitals. Regional health authorities said one man was seriously injured by a blow to the chest, but his life was not in danger as he recovers at Barcelona’s Clinic Hospital.

The accident happened at 7.15 a.m. on a train that began at the coastal town of Sant Vicenc de Calders, south of Barcelona.

“When the train arrived at Francia station it applied the brakes but at the same time it made a noisy crash,” said passenger Said Saharaui.

“The passengers were thrown to the floor,” he said. “Even though the train did brake, it wasn’t until the crash when it reached a full stop.”

The impact of the crash smashed the nose of the train and left it hanging off one side. More damage occurred between the train’s first and second cars.

The accident came as RENFE rail workers staged a one-day strike. The affected train was running as part of minimum services ordered by the Public Works Ministry.

De la Serna said the train had passed its most recent inspection on July 18. He said officials are investigating data and equipment from the driver’s cabin to try to understand the cause of the accident.

He said the 31-year-old driver, who was among 19 people slightly injured, had seven years of service on commuter trains.

Many people in Spain were beginning their summer holidays Friday, with Barcelona and surrounding towns popular destinations.

Francia is Barcelona’s second main train station after Sants, which handles the bullet train and most intercity services.</s>Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Reports said the train did not brake properly when entering the station, hitting the buffers at the platform

At least 54 people have been injured, one seriously, after a train crashed at a station in the Spanish city of Barcelona, officials say.

The incident happened during the morning rush hour at the Francia station, in the city centre.

Reports said the train did not brake properly when entering the station, hitting the buffers at the platform.

Dozens of emergency personnel were sent to the station, with most of the injured being treated on the platform.

Emergency services said as well as the seriously wounded person, who does not have life-threatening injuries, 19 people were moderately hurt.

They are being treated in hospital. Among them is the driver, who is said to be in a state of shock.

The remainder were lightly injured.

Image copyright EPA Image caption Emergency personnel treated some of the injured on the platform

Image copyright AFP Image caption Reports suggested many of those injured in the busy train had been standing, ready to alight

Image copyright AFP Image caption The state-run firm operating the train said an investigation had been opened

Image copyright Chantal Valios Image caption The media were on the scene almost as quickly as the emergency services - here interviewing a passenger named Lidia

"At the moment of impact I had the feeling of experiencing an earthquake," one passenger, Lidia, told La Vanguardia newspaper (in Spanish). She said she had been in the front carriage.

"People were swaying back and forth and colliding into each other. Many people fell to the ground because people were standing up and I saw several people with cuts to the head and face from the blows they suffered when they fell."

Among those hurt were three citizens from France and Romania, local authorities said. Their respective consulates have been informed.

The accident happened at 07:15 (05:15 GMT) after the train had travelled from the village of Sant Vicenç de Calders, some 60km (37 miles) to Barcelona's south-west.

Íñigo de la Serna, the minister for public works, has travelled to Barcelona, in the country's north-eastern Catalonia region, to oversee the rescue operation.

The state-run railway firm Adif said an investigation had been opened.
A passenger train crashes into a buffer stop at Barcelona França railway station, injuring 54 people, five seriously.