Diplomatic sources in Madrid have confirmed that dozens of foreign nationals were involved in the train accident that occurred on Wednesday, as emergency services work to identify the victims.
The serious collision, which involved two high-speed trains, took place Wednesday morning on the line connecting Madrid to the Andalusia region, near Toledo.
At least 51 foreign citizens from 23 different countries were involved in the railway accident, according to the Spanish Foreign Ministry. Among them, it is believed that two have died, nine were injured, 18 are largely unharmed, while the condition of 22 individuals remains unclear, as reported by The Guardian.
Among the injured passengers is a Romanian national, as announced by the Romanian Foreign Ministry, which stated that the individual sustained injuries from the accident, received medical care, but is not hospitalized. In the same tragedy, officials in Prague confirmed the death of a Czech citizen, while authorities in Portugal reported that a crew member who lost their life was of Portuguese nationality.
To date, officials have confirmed that 69 people have died in the accident, but the death toll is expected to rise as at least 70 individuals are reported missing.
Additionally, officials have provided details about the medical situation: of the 110 individuals hospitalized following the incident, 71 have already been discharged, while 39 remain hospitalized.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and the president of the Castilla–La Mancha region, Emiliano García-Page, informed the press that the total number of nationalities represented among those affected could reach as many as 27. In this regard, Spanish authorities are closely collaborating with the relevant embassies and consulates.
Sánchez openly acknowledged that confidence in the country’s high-speed trains, once considered a source of national pride, is currently “shaken”, but he committed to restoring this safety in the future.
“The government’s role is not only to diagnose the situation but also to provide solutions to ensure that such a tragedy does not happen again. And that is what we are doing,” declared the Spanish Prime Minister.
