Worker dies in a C-5 tunnel during maintenance work

According to Emergencias 112 Comunidad de Madrid, the worker received a heavy blow to the chest from the bucket of a backhoe. When SUMMA 112 medical staff arrived, he had severe chest trauma and was in cardiac arrest. Medical teams tried to resuscitate him for around 40 minutes, but were ultimately only able to confirm his death.

The worker belonged to an external contractor and was carrying out maintenance work inside the tunnel. The operation also involved firefighters from Madrid City Council, who facilitated the intervention in an area with difficult access, and the Municipal Police, who have opened an investigation to clarify the circumstances of the accident.

So far, no further details have emerged about the exact sequence of events or the conditions under which the work was being carried out. The investigation will have to determine how the impact occurred and whether all safety protocols were followed in an operation involving heavy machinery inside an enclosed space.

The accident again puts the focus on a little-seen part of public transport: the night work that allows trains, tracks and tunnels to be operational every morning. For passengers, the network appears when service begins; for technical teams, the most delicate activity usually takes place while the city sleeps.

The C-5 is one of the most used lines on Cercanías Madrid and connects municipalities in the south and south-west with the centre of the capital. Keeping it operational requires constant interventions, often at difficult hours and in demanding working conditions. The death of this worker is a reminder that behind every improvement, repair or maintenance task are people exposed to real risks so that daily mobility does not come to a halt.