Horrific scenes from latest train crash. Credit: GC
Passengers aboard the two high-speed trains involved in Wednesday’s (October 28) disaster near Urda, in Toledo province, have described scenes of devastation, with some immediately turning to help the injured while others struggled to understand what had happened.
Harrowing accounts from survivors, relatives and local residents paint a picture of confusion and fear after the high-speed train collision near Urda, when a Renfe AVE train collided with a stationary Iryo service on the Madrid–Seville line.
Among the most harrowing testimonies is that of architect Joaquín Torres, who said he survived by a miracle after going to the toilet shortly before the impact. Others have spoken of being thrown against luggage and seats, while residents working nearby rushed towards the wreckage to help.
Architect describes woman dying in his arms
Joaquín Torres, who was travelling in carriage five of the AVE, said he had gone into an accessible toilet minutes before the collision. He managed to hold on to the grab rails as the impact threw the train into chaos.
Describing the experience to Spanish television, Torres recalled being plunged into darkness and losing his bearings. He initially feared for the life of his business partner, who had been travelling with him.
After getting out, he tried to help an injured woman who was cold and asking about a friend. Torres gave her his jacket, but she died in his arms. His account, broadcast on Spanish television, captured the shock experienced by passengers who found themselves confronted with devastating injuries and scenes of destruction.
Passengers thrown about by the impact
Ana María, 60, was travelling in carriage six with her husband. She said the train had stopped briefly because of problems on the line before moving again. Within minutes, the collision occurred. Ana María was thrown towards the luggage area, with belongings falling on top of her. Her husband suffered a serious blow to the head, and the couple were taken towards hospital in Toledo.
Another passenger, Jesús Jerónimo, was working on his laptop in carriage two when he felt a sudden acceleration followed by a violent impact. He said people were thrown from their seats and passengers initially thought the train had derailed.
Despite suffering a suspected broken nose and a cut to his hand, Jesús began helping other injured travellers. When he spoke to Cadena SER, he was still assisting medical teams by holding an intravenous drip for an injured person. “I felt helpless,” he explained, describing the difficulty of trying to help people amid the wreckage.
Local workers rush to help
David Gómez, a bricklayer working with colleagues on a nearby property, heard the collision and went towards the trains.
He found passengers attempting to escape through windows, with some injured and others sitting in the surrounding fields. David and his colleagues cut through fencing to reach the wreckage and used the first-aid kits they had with them to treat people. His account illustrates how local people became involved in the rescue effort before the full emergency response was in place.
Other passengers also helped one another leave the damaged trains, while emergency services worked to reach those trapped in the worst-affected carriages.
British mother leaves baby with local woman
One particularly moving account concerns a British woman who was trying to find her husband after the collision. According to Spanish newspaper elDiario.es, María José, a resident of Marjaliza village, took care of the woman’s baby while the mother went to search for him.
The story offers a glimpse of the fear and uncertainty experienced by families caught up in the disaster, as well as the kindness shown by people living near the crash site. The family’s eventual circumstances have not been established in the reporting available, and no conclusion should be drawn about the husband’s fate.
A mother desperate to reach her son
Marisol, whose son Adrián was travelling on the AVE with friends, spoke to Spanish television programme Espejo Público after managing to contact him. She said her son was deeply distressed by what he had witnessed and had told her that people were dying and passengers could do little to help them. One of his friends had suffered a serious leg injury. Marisol said she wanted to go and find her son, who was struggling to cope with the scenes around him.
Her account reflects the anguish felt by relatives waiting for news of loved ones, with many families facing hours of uncertainty after the collision.
Strangers helping strangers
Across the accounts, a common theme is the way passengers and local residents tried to help despite their own injuries and shock. Some survivors helped others out through windows, while people working nearby made their way to the wreckage with first-aid supplies. Passengers who were less seriously hurt also assisted emergency teams as they arrived.
The testimonies offer a deeply personal account of the disaster near Urda, with survivors describing not only the terrifying force of the collision but also the moments when strangers tried to comfort, protect and save one another.
As investigations continue, their accounts will form part of the wider picture of what happened on the Madrid–Seville high-speed line on Wednesday morning. The disaster also follows the January Adamuz train disaster, another fatal collision that had a profound effect on rail passengers in Spain.
For the practical impact on travellers, read our report on the suspension of Malaga to Madrid trains.
