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Young athlete and former minister among victims of Spain train crash

By · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The collision near Urda derailed carriages on a shared track, leaving at least 69 dead and more than 100 injured. Families are searching regional hospitals and providing genetic samples to the Toledo forensics institute to confirm identities. The tragedy marks Spain's second major rail accident this year and its worst disaster since 2013. Among those confirmed dead are prominent figures including 31-year-old Civil Guard officer José Manuel Chacón.

Key points

  • The Urda collision represents the deadliest rail disaster to strike Spain since 2013.: The Urda collision represents the deadliest rail disaster to strike Spain since 2013.
  • More than 100 passengers sustained injuries, with many listed in serious condition across…: More than 100 passengers sustained injuries, with many listed in serious condition across regional hospitals.
  • Identification efforts remain ongoing as authorities caution the overall death toll may s…: Identification efforts remain ongoing as authorities caution the overall death toll may still rise.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

- Published

A 24-year-old athlete and a former government minister are among the victims of a deadly train crash that killed 69 people near Urda in central Spain on Wednesday morning.

The crash, between a high-speed Renfe train and a stationary Iryo train on the same track, also injured more than 100 people injured, many seriously.

The impact caused carriages to derail, and there are fears the death toll could still rise, with reports of family members searching for missing relatives in hospitals across the region.

The bodies of those killed have been taken to the main forensics institute in Toledo, where families have been giving DNA samples to help identify them.

The crash is the second rail disaster in Spain this year, and the worst in the country's history since 2013.

Who are the victims?

Julieta Gallego

Julieta Gallego, 24, was a Spanish long jumper who competed for Madrid athletics club, AD Sprint.

"The entire club is heartbroken," it wrote on Instagram.

The Royal Spanish Athletics Federation (RFEF) announced her death, external, expressing its condolences to her family, friends…

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