A six-year-old girl has emerged as the sole survivor of her immediate family following one of Europe’s deadliest train accidents, after two high-speed trains collided in southern Spain on Sunday night.
The child was found walking alone along the tracks near the crash site, suffering only a minor head injury. Her parents, brother and cousin were all killed in the collision. The family had been returning to their home in Aljaraque, near Spain’s Atlantic coast, after a trip to Madrid to see The Lion King musical.
The outing had been a gift for the Epiphany holiday, which is widely celebrated in Spain. During their visit to the capital, the family also toured Real Madrid’s Bernabeu Stadium, according to regional broadcaster Canal Sur.
The mayor of Aljaraque, Adrian Cano, described the girl’s survival as “a miracle,” saying the town was “broken by grief and with hardly any words of comfort.” Authorities said the child was cared for overnight by a police officer before being reunited with her grandmother in Cordoba.
The crash, which occurred near the town of Adamuz in the province of Cordoba, has claimed at least 41 lives. Emergency services have been using cranes to lift mangled carriages as investigators work to establish the cause of the accident.
Personal stories continue to emerge from the tragedy. Alberto Garcia told broadcaster Antena 3 that his five-months-pregnant daughter is in intensive care with severe injuries, while doctors monitor her unborn child, which still has a heartbeat. Firefighters pulled her unconscious from the wreckage, relatives said. Her sister suffered lighter injuries, but the family’s dog remains missing.
Spain has declared three days of national mourning, and high-speed rail services between Madrid and cities in Andalusia have been suspended. Officials said 47 people have been reported missing, while only 10 victims have so far been formally identified.
Among those still unaccounted for is a cardiologist, Jesus Saldana, whose relatives say they have recovered his mobile phone but have no information about his whereabouts.
As rescue and recovery efforts continue, the country remains in shock, with communities across Spain mourning the victims of a disaster that has left families shattered and unanswered questions about how the crash occurred.
