Manuel Luís Nunes, president of the parish council of Vila Nova de São Bento, in the Alentejo municipality of Serpa, confirmed on Friday that the Portuguese national killed in the Spanish rail disaster was in fact a native of the rural Beja village.
Nelson Bernardino, 49, who was born in Vila Nova de São Bento, died in the disastrous train collision near Toledo, just outside Madrid. He had lived in the Spanish capital for four years and worked for the private rail operator Iryo.
On Thursday morning, Portugal’s Foreign Ministry confirmed the death of a Portuguese citizen, who had earlier been listed as missing. “Portugal deeply regrets the deaths and injuries in this tragic accident in Spain, and extends its heartfelt condolences to the victims’ families,” the ministry said in a statement.
Bernardino was a member of the Iryo crew and was in the rear carriage when it was hit by a Renfe high-speed (AVE) train on Wednesday morning.
Although official confirmation only came on Thursday, his brother, Rui Bernardino, who works in Switzerland, had heard the news almost as soon as the crash happened. According to the Jornal de Notícias newspaper, a mutual friend who rushed to the scene recognised Nelson as his body was removed from the train and alerted Rui. Rui dropped everything and travelled to Portugal to break the news to their parents in person, arriving in Vila Nova de São Bento in the early hours of Thursday. A few hours later, he set off for Spain to formally identify his brother’s body.
“He’s a son of this land and was a very familiar face in the village. Whenever he could, he came to see his parents and spend time with his friends. He never missed the Festas das Santas Cruzes,” Nunes, a friend of the family, told journalists
Details of the funeral have yet to be announced. Bernardino was one of 51 foreign nationals travelling on the two trains.
Source: JN
Photo credit: JN
