Tram accident drill tests disaster response in Barcelona

Around two hundred people, including law enforcement officers, first responders, and actors, took part in a planned accident drill on Monday night in Barcelona. The exercise simulated a collision between a city tram and a car that caught fire inside a semi-closed tunnel on the Gran Via near the Plaça de les Glòries.

The drill's goal was to assess the Civil Protection’s 2023 emergency response plan (PAU) to a large-scale accident involving multiple injuries, including the coordination of different emergency bodies. Around 50 actors portrayed victims with varying degrees of injuries.

Civil Protection, the Barcelona city authorities, and the TRAM company organized the exercise. It took place between 2 am and 4 am, from Monday night into Tuesday morning, near the Can Jaumandreu stop on the Trambesòs tram line, while the regular tram was not in operation overnight.

Data gathered from the drill, from the emergency response teams, observers, and will be used to identify strengths and weaknesses in the response, explained Xavier Masramon, from the Civil Protection to the Catalan News Agency before the drill.

“We will collect as much information from the drill as possible so we can later adjust procedures and plans to respond as efficiently as possible to a real emergency,” he added.

The exercise had been announced to locals in advance to avoid causing unnecessary alarm.

Drill scenario: car collides with tram

In the simulation, a car entered the tram tracks and drove into the semi-tunnel just past the Can Jaumandreu station, where it collided with a tram. The impact triggered a simulated fire, represented by smoke and sparks.

The staged accident involved around fifty victims with varying degrees of injuries, some of whom were trapped inside the car or tram and needed to be rescued.

According to the scenario, there were three critically injured victims, five seriously injured, three with moderate injuries, and 40 with minor injuries. The remaining 40 were unharmed.

Emergency response

The drill began shortly after 2 am with an emergency call to 112. TRAM activated the PAU plan.

The Barcelona Fire Department, in coordination with the Catalan Fire Department, began rescue operations, including rescuing trapped victims and putting out the fire.

Local and Catalan police forces, la Guàrdia Urbana and Mossos d’Esquadra, restricted and controlled access to the area and assisted with evacuation.

The first unit from the emergency first responder's unit (SEM) arrived to assess the situation.

Later, psychosocial support stations were set up, and Civil Protection coordinated victim assistance efforts.

Once the fire had been extinguished and all the injured had been evacuated, an investigation into the accident was launched by the local police.