Families are anxiously searching for their missing loved ones after two high-speed trains collided near the city of Cordoba in southern Spain on Sunday evening, leaving at least 42 people dead and dozens hospitalized.
The accident occurred at around 19:45 local time (1845 GMT) when a train carrying 317 passengers on the Malaga-Madrid route derailed for reasons still unknown near Amaduz, about 20 km from Cordoba, Spanish authorities said.
The derailed train struck another high-speed train traveling on an adjacent track from Madrid to Huelva, causing the latter to derail.
As search and rescue operations continue, officials warn that the death toll could rise.
"I'm looking for my husband who is still missing. He is among the missing people," said Osiris Sevilla, wife of a missing passenger, on Tuesday.
Sevilla and her husband, Victor Ruiz, had just returned from a family trip to Nicaragua. While Ruiz boarded the ill-fated train, Sevilla took a separate, cheaper flight back to Spain, a decision that saved her life.
"We were in contact until 18:43 on Sunday, and I haven't heard from him since then," said Sevilla.
Ruiz was on one of the front carriages that were completely destroyed in the accident.
Dozens of others share Sevilla's anguish as they search for missing relatives. DNA samples have been taken from the crash site as forensic teams around the country work to identify victims.
For people like Sevilla, only one thing matters for now.
"It's just Victor's son and me here in Spain. We don't have any other close family here. They are all in Bolivia, and they are waiting for news, especially his parents, who are old now. I don't know what to tell them," said Sevilla.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding his fate, Sevilla remains resolute.
"Yes. Until I see him with my own eyes, I can't lose hope,"she said.
On Tuesday, Spanish King Felipe VI and his wife Queen Letizia visited the site of the accident and victims in a hospital in Cordoba, following Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's visit the previous day.
Sanchez pledged full transparency and vowed to uncover the truth behind the disaster. He also declared three days of national mourning.
One hypothesis points to a faulty or damaged joint in the rail, that left a gap, causing the derailment of the last two carriages of the train traveling north that crossed into the path of the train traveling south.
However, Transport Minister Oscar Puente has said that it could be at least a month before any final conclusions can be drawn.
Families anxiously search for missing relatives after deadly train crash in Spain
Families anxiously search for missing relatives after deadly train crash in Spain
