13 years ago, one of the most tragic railway accidents in the history of Argentina occurred, the Once Tragedy. In this unfortunate incident, a train from the Sarmiento line did not stop and crashed into the buffer stops at the Once station, resulting in the death of 51 people and leaving 789 injured. Over the years, the memory of the victims has remained alive in the collective consciousness of the country.
This Saturday marked 13 years since that fateful February 22, 2012. As tradition, the families and friends of the victims gathered to pay tribute to the deceased. In an emotional act, each of the victims' names was mentioned, and a siren signaled the precise moment of the impact, at 8:33.
In the context of the tragedy, 702 people were able to be rescued from the rubble, including the motorman Marcos Córdoba. However, the number of fatalities rose to 51, among whom was a pregnant woman and three children. The magnitude of the tragedy led to a national mourning declared for 48 hours.
The legal case derived from the Once tragedy led to an extensive process that culminated in the conviction of 21 people and the acquittal of 7. Among the convicted were Marcos Córdoba, former Transport secretaries Ricardo Jaime and Juan Pablo Schiavi, as well as executives from the company that operated the service. In a second trial, Julio De Vido, then Minister of Planning, was convicted of fraudulent administration but acquitted of the railway disaster.
Currently, all those convicted for the Once Tragedy are serving house arrest or are on probation, a situation that has generated criticism from the victims' families, who continue to demand justice and the effective enforcement of the sentences imposed for that tragic event.
